Mushroom sauce is a versatile sauce for hot and cold main dishes. The sauce is perfect for vegetables, chicken, beef, or seafood. Unofficially, it is considered a close relative of tartare because it is vaguely related to it in the principle of taste and cooking. It is a mayonnaise substitute. It is a basic sauce in French cuisines, like adults and children. Nutritionists and other doctors emphasize that sauces can simultaneously fill the body with valuable substances and harm it with calorie content and other harmful properties.
What is mushroom sauce, and how is it eaten? What is included in the product, and what is the recipe for its preparation? All details about the mushroom sauce, its beneficial properties, and contraindications for use.
Composition and calorie content of the mushroom sauce
The elemental composition of mushroom sauce contains the following ingredients:
- Whole eggs or egg whites are the main ingredients in the sauce;
- Mixed spices – tarragon, green parsley, etc.;
- Shallot – considered a milder and more aromatic analog of the common onion;
- Mustard – Dijon mustard, traditional in France, is most often chosen, including white grapes;
- Vegetable oil – it is essential that it has a neutral taste; therefore, as a rule, rapeseed or grape oil is used to make the sauce;
- Grape vinegar is less restrictive than grapes, is very beneficial to human health, and is widely used in many sauces and dressings in various cuisines worldwide.
Pickled cucumbers, hard cheese, capers, or, for example, pickled corn can be used as additional and optional ingredients in the sauce.
The calorie content of mushroom sauce per 100 g is 202 kcal, among which:
- Protein – 15 g;
- Fat – 15 g;
- Carbohydrates – 0 g;
- Dietary fiber – 0 g.
The sauce contains many valuable nutrients for humans, namely:
- Lipids;
- Vitamins – B, C, D, E, etc.;
- Minerals – iron (Fe), phosphorus (P), iodine (I), selenium (Se), sodium (Na), etc.
On the note! Homemade mushrooms, unlike store-bought mayonnaise, do not last long. It is best to use it within a few days.
Benefits of mushroom sauce
The rich composition of the product explains the benefits of mushroom sauce for the human body. The sauce is made from many ingredients, each of which has its complex of vitamins and minerals. In addition, it is pretty satisfying and high in calories, so it always allows you to satisfy your hunger quickly.
The main benefits of mushrooms:
- It has a good effect on the work of the gastrointestinal tract, the state of immunity, and the organs of vision. This property is found in the sauce thanks to shallots, which are rich in vitamins, minerals, and other valuable elements. Also, this onion variety is famous in folk medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties.
- Prevents the development of cancer in the body. All the same shallots and other plant components are rich in flavonoids – substances that have a preventive effect on the human body against the development of tumors.
- It can improve the condition of hair, bones, and the circulatory system’s function. Chicken eggs that make up the sauce contain a lot of iron, which is involved in synthesizing blood cells. Also, eggs are rich in folic acid, vitamins, and minerals necessary for hair growth and the strengthening of human bone tissue.
- Prevents premature aging. The mushroom sauce contains selenium, which is considered a powerful natural antioxidant.
- We are optimizing the function of the nervous system and normalizing blood pressure. Grape vinegar, rich in potassium, is responsible for this process, which can lower cholesterol levels in the human blood.
Contraindications and dangers of mushroom sauce
Doctors often discuss the dangers of mushroom sauce because this product contains a lot of cholesterol (thanks to chicken eggs). It is known that cholesterol can cause a person to develop severe problems with the circulatory system.
If you eat mushrooms in limited quantities, you will not feel the danger of cholesterol, so try not to use the sauce excessively.
Also, everyone who suffers from gastrointestinal tract diseases and conditions of the genitourinary system … This is because shallots, eaten in large quantities, can cause urinary problems. These are shallots that are included in the elemental composition of mushrooms.
If you have been diagnosed with increased stomach acidity, try removing mushrooms and other foods similar in composition to your diet. Otherwise, you can irritate the mucous membrane of your stomach, which should be treated with medicine.
How to make mushroom sauce?
If you like to spice up your culinary creations with gravy, you need to learn how to make the mushroom sauce – a versatile dressing for the main course. One of the main ingredients in the sauce is chicken eggs. Depending on the type of processing, two kinds of filling are distinguished: sauce, in which eggs are boiled until the yolk is obtained, serving from boiled eggs, and then cutting into small pieces.
Note to the cook! For premium poached eggs, cook on medium heat for 4 minutes. During this time, the protein will completely harden (even in the area in contact with the yolk), and the yolk will remain runny.
Step-by-step recipe for the mushroom sauce of the first type:
- Marinate red onion first. Peel two small onions and cut them as small as possible. Pour 2 tablespoons of chili vinegar over the onion and let it soften for a while.
- Boil 2 boiled chicken eggs. The finished egg yolk must remain liquid. And pour cold water over it immediately to peel it off.
- Break the peeled eggs as hard as possible with a fork, then mix with 1 tbsp. l. Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt.
- Start beating the eggs, gradually pouring 1 tablespoon of olive oil into them. Stop the blender when the sauce has a smooth consistency, and the volume has increased.
- The sauce is almost ready; add pickled onions and 2 tbsp. l. chopped capers (buds of flowering plants). Add more salt to the seasoning if needed.
The described mushroom variant is vaguely reminiscent of mayonnaise in taste and method of preparation. The second version of the sauce has a more original taste, although it is made from almost the same ingredients as the first. To prepare mushrooms according to the second method, choose olive oil carefully – as aromatic as possible.
Step-by-step recipe for type II mushrooms:
- Mix chopped shallots not with vinegar but with lemon juice (2 onions and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice).
- Set the onion plate aside for a while and keep the eggs. Boil 2 boiled chicken eggs. Separate the white from the yolk and mix the yolk with 1 tsp. Mustard.
- In a separate bowl, combine various seasonings: a little half of a lemon, 1 tbsp. l. chopped capers, 2 tbsp. l. finely chopped parsley and the same amount of green onions. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and add finely chopped gherkins (3-4 pcs.) and 2/3 tbsp—Olive oil. Beat the resulting mass with a whisk.
- Cut the whites into large chunks and add to the green mixture. Add the egg yolk and red onion that has been processed.
- Salt the finished sauce and beat until combined.
Mushroom sauce recipe
As already mentioned, mushrooms go well with main dishes, so we present a selection of the most original and simple recipes with their participation:
- Garden salad… This dish can be prepared not only for adults but also for children because, in its shape, it resembles a toy garden bed. You need to mimic the soil and vegetables when designing a salad with edible ingredients. You already know how to cook mushroom sauce from the previous section of the article. To prepare the base of the salad, which will be positioned as earth, you need black olives (200 g). Choose olives. Rinse from the brine and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the pan in the oven for 2 hours. Then take it out, cut the olives in half, and put them back in the range for 2 hours. When completely dry, cool and finely chop with a knife. Mix the resulting mass with grape or flax seeds (25 g), previously dried in a dry pan. Boil the vegetables you like (carrots, beets, etc.). The main thing is that they are small. Cut the ends of the vegetables. Serve the salad as follows: put the mushroom sauce in the bottom of the bowl, sprinkle olives with seeds on top, and put the vegetables in the mentioned soil. The salad is ready; enjoy!
- Juicy asparagus with bread and cheese croutons and mushroom sauce… Prepare the mushrooms. Make a bread base for the salad – cut circles, rectangles, or other shapes from white bread that you like or mold to make. Brush the bread slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle the bread with grated Parmesan cheese and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. Such bread is called crouton; it will be ready when it acquires a golden crust. While the croutons are in the range, process the asparagus, we only need one wrap (for two servings). Cut off the end of the asparagus (asparagus) and place it upright until it boils in boiling water. Once the asparagus is soft, it should be removed from the pan. The cooking process usually takes about 6 minutes. Serve the beans with croutons and gravy, and eat with your hands.
- Layered pike with mushroom sauce… If you decide to cook fish, remember the presence of mushrooms because this sauce will turn the fish dish into a real culinary masterpiece. To cook two portions of pike perch in the oven under this filling, you need 400 g of fish and 30 minutes of free time. To begin with, fry the pike perch a little literally in a frying pan with vegetable oil (this way, the meat will acquire a golden crust, will not stick to the pan’s surface, and will keep its shape). Next, bake the fish in the oven for 15 minutes. At this time, start cooking the vegetables, which will be served with the fish as a side dish. Seeds of pepper and half a chili. Cut the vegetables into thin slices, along with a few stalks of celery, 1 carrot, and scallion (use only the center of the garlic). Now fry the vegetables in a pan with 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar over the pan. Serve the fish with cooked vegetables and sauce.
Interesting facts about the mushroom sauce
In various historical and culinary sources, the date of making mushrooms is different. According to one of the oldest cookbooks, the egg sauce recipe was first published in 1903. This book also says that mushrooms are one of the mother sauces of French cuisine. Any cook who enjoys preparing French food must master the basics of making egg sauce.
Historians note that people prepared a sauce similar to modern French food during the Roman Empire. However, this dish has a different name.
Nowadays, mushrooms are an integral part of the menu of prestigious restaurants. It is served with pig’s head, shrimp, fish, and more.
Conclusion
Mushroom sauce is a delicious food that can save a trifle. Season with this creamy vegetable salad, and it quickly turns into an expensive restaurant dish. In addition, the sauce is rich in nutrients and has a good effect on human health. The use of the product should be minimized only for people with high acidity of the stomach and severe disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
