A simple porcini mushroom sauce made with fresh mushrooms, onion, garlic and just a little flour. No cream is needed — the porcini provide plenty of rich, earthy flavour on their own.
This sauce is perfect with pork tenderloin, steak, chicken, polenta, pasta or mashed potatoes. If you make it after searing meat, use the same pan so all those browned bits become part of the sauce.
Clean the fresh porcini carefully with a brush, cloth or small knife. Avoid soaking them in water because mushrooms absorb moisture easily. Slice the porcini into even pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook gently for a few minutes until softened and lightly translucent.
Add the sliced porcini to the pan. Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms soften and begin to brown. Let some of their moisture evaporate so their flavour becomes more concentrated.
Finely chop the garlic and add it to the pan. Cook briefly, just until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown too much.
Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir well so it coats the mushrooms evenly. Cook for about 30 seconds to remove the raw flour taste.
Gradually add the stock or water while stirring. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook until it becomes smooth and lightly thickened. If it gets too thick, add a little more stock or water.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley and taste. Adjust the seasoning or consistency if needed, then remove from the heat.
Serve the porcini mushroom sauce immediately with pork tenderloin, steak, chicken, polenta, pasta or mashed potatoes. If you prepared it in the same pan after searing meat, scrape up the browned bits and stir them into the sauce for extra flavour.
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