Grill

Some of my culinary school classes started at 5:30 in the morning. By the time I got to school, many of the chefs and teaching assistants had already been hard at work for an hour or more, prepping the food needed for the day’s service at the student-run restaurant. The hardest part of those early classes wasn’t actually waking up before dawn. It was the smells I encountered when I walked in. <br /> <br />However, there was one savory smell that I couldn’t get enough of, no matter what time of day – the aroma of mushroom duxelles (pronounced “dook-SELL”). Duxelles is a classic French mixture of minced mushrooms, shallots and garlic cooked in butter, and finished with wine and cream. It has an incredibly deep, earthy flavor and aroma that is intoxicating. It’s sometimes used to add rich flavor to soups and sauces, but is primarily used as a stuffing – you can stuff chicken breasts with it, or wrap puff pastry around it for an appetizer. Making it was one of my favorite things to do in school. <br /> <br />Here, I slathered this glorious duxelle onto some crusty bread, and piled it with asparagus and slices of gruyere. I toasted the sandwiches in a skillet until everything was warmed through and the cheese was oozingly melty.

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