Amateur Mushroom Cook-Off

The 2019 theme is: Pasta with Mushrooms 

The theme for 2019 was Pasta with Mushrooms

The 2019 Mushroom Festival Amateur Cook-Off focused on the beautiful combination of pasta with mushrooms.  At the Cook-off all recipes were made with pasta made by our sponsor Scaramuzzo Pasta.

The finalists for the 2019 Amateur Mushroom Cook-off are:

1st Place $1,500 plus Golden ticket to World Food Championships 2020 – Rebecka Evans of Pearland, TX (last years 1st place champion) – Prosecco Mushroom butter Gnocchi with garlic chili

2nd Place- $300 – Lisa Keys of Kennett Square, PA – Mushroom-tomato sauced cheese Ravioli with Maitake-bacon crumbs

3rd place- $200 –  Amy Fossett of Severn, MD – Pan grilled Ravioli with crispy pancetta and cream of Mushroom purée

Best Use of Butter- $250 (from Challenge Butter) – Daniel Richeal of Kennett Square, PA – Wild Mushroom and cheese dumplings with spicy lemon brown butter sauce and shiitakes

Amateur Mushroom Cook-Off Winner Recipe

Rebecka Evans- Prosecco Mushroom Butter Gnocchi with Garlic Chili Trumpets

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups Scaramuzza Ricotta Gnocchi 2. 5 cups Mixed Mushrooms:  2 cups sliced baby bella’s  2 cups sliced white button mushrooms  1 cup trumpet mushrooms (substitute: oyster mushrooms if trumpet mushrooms are not available, cutting larger mushrooms into slices) 3. 2 cups prosecco wine 4. 1/3 cup shallots, plus 1 tablespoon, fine chopped 5. 1/4 cup plus 9 tablespoons, Challenge Butter, divided 6. 3 tablespoons flour 7. 1 cup chicken stock 8. 3 tablespoons olive oil 9. 1 hot chili, (jalapeno, fresno, or other) fine chopped (about 2 teaspoons) 10. 2 tablespoons garlic, minced 11. 3 oz. sherry wine 12. 3 ounces seasoned rice vinegar

Directions:

Prosecco Mushroom Butter Sauce:   Wash mushrooms in cold water and pat dry Bring Prosecco and fine chopped shallots to a rolling boil. Simmer until wine is reduced to about ¾ cups. Remove from heat Allow Prosecco mixture to cool slightly then add ¼ cup chopped butter, a little at a time. Stir after each addition to combine Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a frying pan over med heat. Sauté 2 cups baby bella mushrooms and 2 cups white button mushrooms for 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Stir in 3 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon butter, cook for 1 minute Slowly add the chicken stock to mushroom mixture, stirring constantly until it boils. Remove from heat Stir in Prosecco mixture. Season with ½ teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper. (Add more to taste) Stir in 2 more tablespoon challenge butter to finish sauce Keep sauce warm – do not boil Garlic Chili Trumpets (or Oyster) Mushrooms: Cut larger trumpets lengthwise into 2-3 slices. Leave small trumpets whole (If trumpet mushrooms are not available, substitute oyster mushrooms) Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoons Challenge Butter in a heavy skillet, over medium high heat Add trumpet mushroom in a single layer. Cook until lightly browned on one side (about 3 minutes). Flip and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove mushrooms to a plate Reduce heat to medium Add 2 teaspoons chopped hot chili, 1 tablespoon fine chopped shallots and 2 tablespoons minced garlic to the pan. Sauté for 1 – 2 minutes. Do not brown the garlic Deglaze the pan with 3 ounces good, sherry wine Return trumpet mushrooms to the pan and raise the heat to medium high. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring to coat Remove from heat. Add 3 ounces seasoned rice vinegar. Stir to combine Set aside until ready to serve Gnocchi: In a large stock pot, boil 4 quarts of water Once the water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt Add 4 cups Scaramuzza Ricotta Gnocchi to the salted water. When the gnocchi rise to the top they are done. Remove them with a slotted spoon and allow excess liquid to drain off. Transfer gnocchi in batches to the pan with Prosecco Mushroom Butter Sauce. Once all gnocchi are in the sauce, add 2 more tablespoons Challenge butter and stir the gnocchi and sauce to coat evenly. Serve the gnocchi in a large casserole dish or individual bowls Serve with three or four garlic chili trumpets

Highlights from Previous Years

Get recipe and view scenes from the 2017 Amateur Mushroom Cook-off

View Scenes from 2016 Amateur Mushroom Appetizer Cook-Off