Ingredients:

• Oyster mushrooms – 200g, cleaned & torn into bite-size pieces

• Onion – 1 small, finely chopped

• Garlic – 3 cloves, minced

• Carrot – 1 small, diced

• Celery – 1 stick, diced (optional)

• Butter – 2 tbsp (use olive oil / vegan butter for vegan)

• All-purpose flour – 1 tbsp (for thickening)

• White wine – ¼ cup (optional, enhances flavor; skip if not using alcohol)

• Vegetable/chicken stock – 2 cups

• Fresh cream – ½ cup (use cashew cream or coconut cream for vegan)

• Fresh thyme – 1 tsp, chopped

• Fresh parsley – 2 tbsp, chopped

• Bay leaf – 1

• Black pepper – ½ tsp, freshly ground. Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Sauté base

   • Heat butter (or olive oil/vegan butter) in a pan.

   • Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Sauté till softened.

2. Cook mushrooms

   • Add oyster mushrooms, sauté on medium-high until lightly browned.

3. Make roux

   • Sprinkle flour, stir well for 1 min (this will thicken the sauce).

4. Deglaze

   • Add white wine (if using) and let it reduce by half.

5. Simmer

   • Add stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper.

   • Simmer 10 mins until sauce slightly thickens.

6. Finish with cream

   • Stir in cream (or cashew/coconut cream for vegan).

   • Cook 2–3 mins more, then remove bay leaf.

7. Garnish

   • Sprinkle fresh parsley before serving.

Serving Ideas:

• With buttered rice or herbed quinoa

• Over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta

• With toasted sourdough / baguette

Vegan adjustments:

• Butter → Olive oil / Vegan butter

• Cream → Cashew cream (soak cashews 2 hours, blend with water) or Coconut cream. Stock → Vegetable stock only

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