Wild Mushroom Ragout

Cooking with mushrooms has been on my mind a lot lately. (See last post.) Finding the perfect complimentary flavors and cooking techniques has been a lot of fun. I am a nerd when it comes to that. Stacks of cookbooks, my trusty flavor thesaurus, culinary reference guides, and several open tabs on my computer clutter my kitchen work space as I dream up the perfect recipe.
I am particularly proud of this recipe, but the true star is the wonderful variety of wild mushrooms I obtained at my local farmers market. Shiitakes, lobster, oyster, and chanterelles are featured here, but another combination would work well in this recipe.

Wild Mushroom Ragout

1 1/2 pounds wild mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 star anise
3/4 cup red wine
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 tablespoon fresh tarragon, slightly chopped.

Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Sauté until butter begins to brown. About two to three minutes. Add mushrooms. Toss to coat in butter. Add star anise, salt, and pepper.  Cook mushrooms on medium low heat.  Stir occasionally until they release some juice and start to cook down.   About 10-15 minutes. Add red wine and simmer liquid off. About 10 minutes. Take off heat and remove star anise. Stir in sour cream and garnish with tarragon.

This ragout can be enjoyed by itself or as a topping on chicken, tofu, or steak.