Q. I once had this amazing dish at a hotel and have never been able to recreate it. It was a brisket with some sort of creamy wine/mushroom sauce. Any tips to try to make such a sauce would be great!

A. Now you’re talking my language. Brisket, wine, mushrooms, I’m right there with you and I’m feelin’ the love. I actually didn’t eat mushrooms at all until about two years ago. I thought they were a freak of nature and not meant to be eaten. Then I learned that they’re extremely nutritious, and I gave them a try and now I’m hooked.

I’m going to share with you my incredibly delicious and easy brisket preparation method, along with a new gravy recipe that I haven’t yet tried. Just created it for you – so best of luck and hope it’s a winner! (Do taste the gravy before serving and add more seasoning if needed.)

Brisket with Mushroom and Wine Gravy
This brisket is super soft, melt-in-your-mouth fabulous and takes only minutes of time to prepare. You can spend the extra time making the mushroom wine gravy, or skip that step altogether and serve with just the browned onions. You will need at least two briskets if you’re serving a crowd. The meat definitely shrinks, and you can expect your guests to keep going back for more. 

• Sear brisket on high heat for 10 – 15 minutes on each side, or until meat is well-browned and crispy at the edges.Remove from pan and place in 9×13 pan or large casserole dish.
• Slice two large onions (or more if using 2 briskets) and saute in pan with the bits of flavor and oils from the meat. Stir until browned. Place onions around brisket.
• Sprinkle brisket with salt, pepper, and 1-2 Tbsp chicken soup seasoning (no MSG, low sodium). Pour about a cup of water over the meat and seasonings. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375 for one hour. Reduce heat to 275 and bake for another 1 & 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from oven and leave covered for 15 minutes.
• If you want to skip the mushroom gravy step, you can slice and serve the brisket now as is. It should be extremely tender and tasty.
• If you’ve been brave and prepared the mushroom gravy sauce, pour it over the brisket and serve with sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish.

Add some baked sweet potato chunks, steamed broccoli florets and whole wheat Israeli (pearled) couscous for a fabulous meal. Split pea or lentil soup is a great starter, as chicken or beef broth would be redundant and create an overly rich meal. Of course for dessert, you can go big and rich and serve a chocolate mousse pie or go easy on your guests and finish off with a mango syllabub or fruit ices. 

Mushroom Wine Gravy:

Spray pan with non-stick spray. Saute 1 lb. sliced baby bella mushrooms on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan. Pour 1 cup white wine, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried marjoram, 1/2 tsp ground blackpepper, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp garlic powder into pan. Mix 2 Tbsp corn starch with 1/2 cup water until completely dissolved. Add to pan, stir, and turn flame to medium high until boiling. Reduce heat, stir and simmer on low for about ten minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Turn off heat and add mushroom slices to pan.

Bonum appetitionem!