Mushroom Confit Recipe With Shallots and Herbs

Mushroom confit (confit d’champignon) is a dish of slow-roasted mushrooms in olive oil with aromatics like garlic and fresh herbs, softened over a few hours in a low-heat oven. “Confit” is a French term that refers to an ingredient preserved in fat—either its own, as with duck confit, or in olive oil, like garlic confit. Mushroom confit both extends the life of fresh mushrooms and deepens their innate sweetness, resulting in a complex flavor profile that suits several uses. Jump to recipe.

Mushroom confit complements a range of appetizers and side dishes. You can serve mushroom confit in the following ways:

1. 1. As a topping: Serve mushroom confit over pasta as a minimalist sauce (garnished with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese), or spoon it over a French omelet or roasted chicken.
2. 2. With cheese: Serve mushroom confit with a cheese board as an accompaniment for soft cheeses like ricotta or goat cheese. Or use it as a stand-in for fresh or sautéed mushrooms in a composed salad.
3. 3. With toasted bread: Serve mushroom confit with thick slices of grilled bread or crispy, thin crostini, either on its own with a few cracks of black pepper, drizzled in aged balsamic and sprinkled with chives, or as part of a bruschetta with fresh basil.

Consider the following tips for making and storing mushroom confit:

1. 1. Add sugar for extra complexity. To enhance the natural earthiness in the mushrooms, add a teaspoon of brown sugar or balsamic vinegar to the oil mixture. The low-and-slow cooking process gives the sugar time to develop a deep, caramel flavor, while the tanginess of the balsamic will mellow into an earthy fruitiness.
2. 2. Choose the right mushrooms. You can use small button mushrooms or any variety of mushrooms you like to make mushroom confit. Wild mushrooms such as shiitake, chanterelle, oyster mushrooms, and trumpet mushrooms impart complex flavor to the dish. If you are using multiple kinds of mushrooms, halve or quarter them where necessary to make everything equal in size to ensure the confit cooks evenly.
3. 3. Cook over low heat. You can cook confit on the stovetop or in the oven. Either way, it’s essential to simmer the confit over low heat to develop the flavors thoroughly. Cooking over medium heat or high heat will speed up the process but will miss the deep, rich flavor prized in confits.
4. 4. Keep leftover confit. You can store mushroom confit in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will last for up to one month.