As I mentioned before, one of the few shows I still enjoy in the FoodTV Network is the series “Best Thing I Ever Made“. The list of dishes I’d like to make from that show is shamelessly long, but I keep tuning in and making the list longer. This meatless take on stroganoff is another great recipe by Alton Brown, featured in the episode “Updated Classics“. Heads up: the fact that it is meatless does not make it a light meal! The sauce is very rich with cream and goat cheese, the Portobello mushrooms play the meat part better than I expected.
MUSHROOM STROGANOFF WITH GOAT CHEESE
(from Alton Brown, Best Thing I Ever Made)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 Portobello mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bunch green onions, sliced and white bottoms and green tops separated
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
14 ounces beef broth
8 ounces sour cream
4 ounces fresh goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
fresh parsley leaves, minced, to taste
Comments: I had no idea that one could find some episodes of FoodTV on the net, without interruption for commercials. If you want to see Alton in action, click here. He used an interesting method to cook the pasta, starting it in COLD water. I wanted to try it, but completely forgot about it and cooked my noodles the normal way. Check the link for the recipe in the FoodTV site for his version, or watch the episode in which he explains the rationale for doing it this way.
This was a very substantial and filling pasta. It could be a vegetarian-friendly entrée if you skipped the beef broth and used a veggie broth instead, but I don’t think it would be nearly as good. I used home-made beef broth from our freezer. I actually like to call it “liquid gold”. It’s labor-intensive to prepare, but it does shine in a recipe like this one. It gave amazing depth of flavor to the Portobello mushrooms. This would be a wonderful dish for a dinner party, by the way. The sauce can be made in advance, all you have to do is cook the noodles and awe your guests… 😉
ONE YEAR AGO: Tomato Sourdough
TWO YEARS AGO: Gamberetti con rucola e pomodori
THREE YEARS AGO: Flirting with Orzo
Bewitching Kitchen 
Funny that you refer to your homemade broth as “liquid gold.” My wife and I refer to my homemade stocks that way, too. Homemade stocks and broths separate the men and the women from the boys and the girls.
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Great minds label alike… 😉
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Am having a current ‘love affair’ with Portobello mushrooms, normally stuffing or grilling [sorry broiling?] them. Have made similar ‘stroganoff’ like dishes with mushrooms, but not these and the dish does look so appetizing. Am definitely a homemade stock gal too, won’t mind the occasional goat cheese but would have to tweak it with Greek yogurt or similar as I don’t use any form of cream. As there is flour in the recipe, no problems! Shall definitely try!!
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Indeed, I actually read once that mixing yogurt with a little cornstarch ensures a smooth sauce – particularly helpful in curries, and it works with zero fat yogurt…
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I love Alton Brown, his recipes are spot on! but what I love the most is his scientific approach to food
Pinned to try soon
P.S. the quinoa with glazed carrots was heavenly and my starter is 3 days old now, my sourdough adventure is on its way
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Oh, Sawsan! I am THRILLED that you got your sourdough going – now I hope you will share ALL your adventures with it on your blog, I can hardly wait!
Proud of you, I am. Proud.
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Sounds delicious Sally! It’s been an age since we had stroganoff!
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Time to fix that problem, Celia – the weather is cooling down for you, perfect for this type of dish. Moi? I am moving towards salads and sorbets ;-0) (can you feel the joy? can you?)
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Sally, I would love to see you beef broth recipe when you have time. I make my own chicken stock all the time, but so far I’ve skipped the beef version.
You mention Alton’s pasta method. I did something different the last time I made lasagna, and it turned out beautifully. I parboiled the noodles for only 3 minutes instead of cooking them fully as I used to do. I used a bit extra sauce and covered the assembled dish in foil for 30 minutes, then uncovered for another 15 or so. This resulted in very tender, not mushy pasta that had absorbed the flavors of the sauce. Yummy.
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Paula, great tip on the parboiling for just 3 minutes. I am going to try that next time for sure!
here is my recipe for the beef broth. I followed more or less to a T, but cooked it for 7 hours total, at very very low simmer
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/roasted-beef-broth.aspx
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It’s always interesting to hear what chefs think are the best thing they’ve ever made or eaten! This stroganoff sounds so good!
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That’s why I love the show – those people are around food 24 hours/day, thinking about it, trying it, tasting it, developing recipes. If there’s something they say it’s the best they’ve made or had, I am all ears. Now, some of them tend to like stuff that is sooooooooooooooo rich and heavy I cannot bring myself to make. But other than that, great show.
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Sally: This pasta with mushrooms and goat cheese looks AMAZING! I am crazy for pasta as well as for the other 2 main ingredients in it. I just wish I was there to dig in my fork in it…
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we love our pasta too… once a week for sure, we have some kind of pasta for dinner. With the weather warming up, I see a lot of soba noodles in our future… love that stuff!
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Sally, your shroom stroganoff looks positively delicious and I smiled when I read your warning re: the fact that it’s meatless does not make it light meal! I was browsing the dessert section of one of my fave organic bakeries the other day and the lovely lady behind the counter chimed in with “by the way, just because these desserts are made with organic ingredients doesn’t make them any less calorific” ;-). Isn’t the internet great that way? That’s how I go to know the show “Chopped” (for Eat, Play, Love’s new year’s game) — I just watched a couple episodes on youtube! :).
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Calorific! That is too good! Will have to put that word into my vocabulary right away…
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The sauce does look rich and flavourful with the beef stock. I have some that I bought and would love to use it up in a dish that would really benefit from its depth of flavour. I just bought a small bottle of real black truffle oil and wonder if I could use a finishing drizzle over the top before serving a big plate of this. 🙂
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You won’t hurt my feelings at all reaching for that bottle of truffle oil… 🙂
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I watched that episode too, and it’s one of the few Food Network shows I still watch too! This looked so good, I wanted to make it right away. I’ll have to remember the cold water pasta cooking tip and give that a try.
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Lisa, if you try that pasta trick, let me know how you like it…
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Now this is my kind of stroganoff! I have never really enjoyed it because I’m not a big beef eater, but sub in portabellos and I’m in!!! Especially with goat cheese. Oh heavens! And I know what you mean about the list of things you want to make growing longer and longer. I’m convinced mine is never ending!
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The goat cheese makes this sauce extra special and even the beef lovers will fall for this preparation…
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Oh good gracious that is gorgeous and no doubt tasty!
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Very tasty… VERY!
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I made this dish tonight and it received 5 thumbs up. All of guests took home a copy of the recipe. It is easy to make and so delicious!
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Oh, how wonderful! Thanks for letting me know, made my day! Isn’t it great when guests love a meal like that? And, as you saw, it’s pretty easy on the cook.
thanks for the feedback!
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Funny, I was just googling for a meatless stroganoff, I knew I’d seen one, somewhere and then I found your recipe. I’ve got it bookmarked to make next week, as soon as I get to the ‘big city’ and pick up some portabello’s. Unless of course I just sub in some Italian brown’s…
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“This meatless take on stroganoff ” isn’t so meatless, since it contains beef broth. Just because the broth doesn’t have chunks of animal in it doesn’t make it “meatless”. What a disappointment. (Yes, I will consider making it using veggie broth and wine.)
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