Recipe from Chris Pandel
Adapted by Sam Sifton
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 5(190)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Start by making the caramelized onions. These take a great deal of time. The onions here, barely slicked with neutral oil, surrounded by sweet wine, can take up to 30 minutes to achieve the excellence you are looking for. You stir and stir and stir. —Sam Sifton
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves 4
- 2tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4small yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
- ½cup sweet Marsala wine
- 3tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
- 1½pounds best-quality common mushrooms, ideally cremini or babybella, cleaned and sliced
- ½teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground blackpepper, to taste
- 2small shallots, peeled and minced
- 3tablespoons sherry vinegar
- ½cup heavy cream
- 4pieces rye bread, sliced thick
- Caramelized onions (see above)
- Creamed mushrooms (see above)
- 2tablespoons minced chives
For the Caramelized Onions
For the Creamed Mushrooms
For the Bruschetta
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
For the Caramelized Onions
Step
1
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, add vegetable oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the onions and salt. Do not stir immediately. Wait 1 minute, then begin to stir frequently over high heat for 5 minutes, or until the onions have released liquid and started to become translucent.
Step
2
Turn the heat down to medium and add Marsala. Cook, stirring often, for what will seem like an eternity, until the onions are fully melted and dark brown, approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
For the Creamed Mushrooms
Step
3
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan with high sides over high heat. Once the pan is hot, add vegetable oil. Once the oil shimmers, add butter. When butter foams, add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are golden brown, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Step
4
Reduce heat to medium low and, using a wooden spoon, create a well in the middle of the mushrooms. Add thyme, salt, black pepper and shallots; sweat until shallots have cooked through and become translucent, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
Step
5
Return heat to high and add sherry vinegar to deglaze pan, then add cream and bring to a low boil.
Step
6
Check for seasoning. Mushrooms can be reserved until needed, then reheated over a medium flame. Add a splash of extra cream to loosen, if needed.
For the Bruschetta
Step
7
Grill or toast bread to a light char.
Step
8
Spread 2 tablespoons caramelized onions over each piece of toast, followed by approximately ¼ cup of creamed mushrooms.
Step
9
Garnish with minced chives.
Ratings
5
out of 5
190
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Cooking Notes
Martin
MARSALA SUBSTITUTE: The best substitute for Marsala wine is Madeira because of the similar taste profile. If you can't find Madeira either, you might try simmering 1 part brandy with 2 parts white wine, brown sugar and a touch of salt.
SonomaSMB
These toasts are unreal. The Marsala in the onions and the sherry vinegar in the mushrooms elevate them to heavenly. Rye bread is perfect. Thank you, Sam!
If you have any left, they're spectacular in an omelet, and they turn a veggie burger into something heavenly.
Steve Abbott
Yummy, but worth the work when done. I halved the mushrooms, onions, and initial salt, but did not reduce the other ingredients. I took a lazy man's approach, set the onions aside once cooked, did the mushrooms in the same pan, adding the caramelized onions back in with the creamed mushrooms at the end. The final presentation less pretty than Sam's but very pleasing and presentable nevertheless. Leftovers nice as a topping for bbq'd chicken or steak if anything left!
ScoreB
Made this for 3rd time. Delicious as usual, though i would add less salt to the onions in step 1, 1 TSP would probably have been better starting point.
Ellen
I think these are even more divine with fresh tarragon instead of thyme.
Steve D.
Wonderful combination of flavors. I had multigrain bread and used it instead of rye, and while it worked, I can definitely see why rye is recommended. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I will use about half the salt next time, and I think it would work just as well with somewhat thinner slices and less of the toppings per piece.
Jen in Astoria
FWIW I've made an easy weekend version of this...just shallots, browned, then dump in mushrooms, cook, dump in sweet cooking sherry or similar. When liquid is down, turn off heat and dump in half n half or fat free half n half, serve on toast of choice with salt and pepper. Put an egg on it if you want.
Jen
These were just wonderful! I served them on homemade Russian Black Bread (an aromatic dark rye), and the combination was delightfully savory and hearty. The only alterations I made were to reduce the salt, butter and oil by quite a bit, and use dry Marsala instead of sweet.
Beau
I’m a replacement-level home cook and I’ve made this three times now with some minor variations. Has been excellent every time. Strongly recommend.
E
Oh my god! This is delicious! I'm speechless.
Weslie
I followed the recipe very closely. I did chop up the mushrooms into quite small pieces. I think it made loading them on the bread easier. I also encouraged eating it by hand as the toast could pose a small problem cutting. I made both onions and mushrooms hours before and then gently heated them just before serving thus taking the pressure off during a dinner party. Served with rave reviews.
Jen
These were just wonderful! I served them on homemade Russian Black Bread (an aromatic dark rye), and the combination was delightfully savory and hearty. The only alterations I made were to reduce the salt, butter and oil by quite a bit, and use dry Marsala instead of sweet.
ljr
Used Chanterelles, Criminis, and Portabello and served on crusty baguette. Really good but will go with a crusty rye next time. Does take a long time but I caramelized the onions the same way I do for Onion Soup. Super thinly sliced, butter and OO and a bit more moisture (1/4 cup water) - low heat stirring every 5-7 minutes for about 35-40. Allows me to do other tasks rather than just stirring for 20 minutes.
AKM
I made thieve for the first time two days ago, and they were such a hit that I was asked to make them again the next day. I followed the recipe as presented with the exception of not using rye bread because I could not find any at two different grocery stores. I ended up using plain store bought baguettes and even on those, these were delicious. A little messy to eat so make sure you have plates and napkins handy.
Jen in Astoria
FWIW I've made an easy weekend version of this...just shallots, browned, then dump in mushrooms, cook, dump in sweet cooking sherry or similar. When liquid is down, turn off heat and dump in half n half or fat free half n half, serve on toast of choice with salt and pepper. Put an egg on it if you want.
lisatrout
This is such a fantastically flavorful comfort-food recipe! Makes wonderful hors d’ouevres or a lovely hearty side to a focal salad. Easy AND make-aheadable.
cherie misas
This was absolutely delicious done as recipe calls. I would next time, however, halve the salt.
Laura Heuchan
I am not fond of sherry vinegar. Can anyone suggest a substitute? Maybe another flavored vinegar? Thanks for any help you can offer.
Irene
Is heavy cream less likely to curdle than 1/2&1/2? I only had the latter, and didn't want to buy heavy cream to use just a little. As soon as the 1/2&1/2 went in it started to curdle. Other than that, it was delish.
Deloris
Try crème fraîche. Works perfectly.
Ellen
I think these are even more divine with fresh tarragon instead of thyme.
Anna
I want to add these to a dinner party menu. How far ahead of time can I make this (and reheat at the end)??
ScoreB
Made several times. Always a hit. Sinfully delicious.
Steve D.
Wonderful combination of flavors. I had multigrain bread and used it instead of rye, and while it worked, I can definitely see why rye is recommended. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I will use about half the salt next time, and I think it would work just as well with somewhat thinner slices and less of the toppings per piece.
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