Makes about 2 cups

This classic French preparation is made by finely chopping mushrooms and slowly cooking them down with butter, onions and aromatics until they form a deeply flavorful paste with concentrated umami flavors. Traditionally it’s tucked into pastry dough for a beef Wellington or rolled up in a chicken cutlet, but it’s just as satisfying spooned onto warm toast, folded into eggs or pasta, or used as a rich base for soups or sauces. If you don’t know where to start, spread it on premade puff pastry, roll, slice and bake until golden. Feel free to swap the vermouth with your favorite dry wine, and any common variety of mushroom works just fine. This method of preparing mushrooms is endlessly versatile—a foundational recipe worth keeping in your kitchen repertoire.

1 pound mushrooms

¼ cup unsalted butter

1 large shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons dry vermouth

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

With a damp towel, clean any dirt or debris off the mushrooms. Quarter the mushrooms and place in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. (You can also chop them by hand.)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft, roughly 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, or until fragrant. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until most of the liquid has cooked off, 12 to 14 minutes. Stir in the vermouth, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until the liquid has cooked off again. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

If using in a pastry dough, let the mixture cool before proceeding. If using right away, transfer to a bowl and serve warm or at room temperature with toast or crackers. The duxelles can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months.