A few months before I turned vegetarian, I clipped this article/menu that included a beef dish with a popover cooked around it. I still have it eventhough I know that I probably won’t ever use it. So I was thrilled to find this recipe from Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors. It is easy, delicious, and inexpensive since I didn’t use the chanterelles the recipe called for, but instead a mix of cremini and oyster mushrooms. I had a friend in Big Sur that used to forage for chanterelles and sell them to the local restaurants, she made something like $25/pound. Apparently it was a competitive second job, as she kept her spots secret, even from me (this was before I became a mushroom lover). Even if you think you don’t like mushrooms, I would suggest you try the expensive ones, cooked like in this recipe with cream or else with a little white wine, they are really amazing.

Giant Popover with Chanterelles

1 pound chaterelles or other mushrooms

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large market eggs

1 cup milk

3/4 cup flour

2 to 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons cream

1 scant teaspoon minced thyme

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1. First clean the mushrooms: Pick out any pine needles and brush off and forest dirt. If using morels, slice them in halve lengthwise so you can brush out the centers. Only if they are quite dirty should you dunk them in water, but you can wipe them with a damp cloth. Slice into attractive pieces that nicely reveal the shapes of the mushrooms. Set them aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven with half the butter while you whisk the eggs, mild, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. When the butter has melted, brush it around the rim of the skillet, then stir in into the batter. Add the cheese, then pour the batter back into the hot skillet. Set in the center of the oven to bake. In 20 minutes it will have risen dramatically around the edges and be puffed in the center as if it’s trying to lift itself out of the skillet.

3. While it’s cooking, melt the remaining butter in a saute pan. When it’s hot, add the mushrooms, salt lightly, and saute over high heat. Once they begin to give up their juices, reduce the heat to medium and cook the mushrooms until they’re tender, about 5 minutes, possibly longer for wild mushrooms. Stir the cream into the juices and allow them to mingle and thicken slightly. Season with pepper, then toss with the thyme and parsley.

4. Remove the popover from the oven and spoon the mushrooms into the center. Or slice the popover into wedges and spoon the mushrooms over each serving.