Mushroom Bourguignon

It's time for serious talk.
Earlier today I was texting and I wanted to write, "bummer" but instead, completely by accident and with such ease, typed "butter".
Then I stopped in my tracks.
And I asked myself, "Butter?! Really, Laura?"
Who have I become? PAULA DEEN?!???
At first I found this worrisome.
But now I've just decided to embrace it. Yeah, I think about butter a lot. So much so that it pops out and replaces every day words in every day conversation. So what?
That's just my thing now.
And besides, being the next Queen of Down South Cooking wouldn't be so bad, would it? I'd just need to work on my twang some.

You know what else is my thing?
This mushroom bourguignon. (Did you just pretend you knew how to pronounce that word by saying it really fast, and kind of quiet, in a french accent? No? Oh. Me neither.)
Well, even though this bourguignon doesn't contain beef, it still kicks some major arse.
But anything cooked in wine does, let's be honest.
It's really comforting, too.
Eric told me after the first bite, it reminded him of something his mom used to make growing up.
I said, "my cooking has brought back memories of your childhood????!?!?!!!"
Boo-yah.

Mushroom Bourguignon
(recipe from Smitten Kitchen)
Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 pounds portobello mushrooms, in 1/4-inch slices (you can use cremini instead, or as well)
1/2 carrot, finely diced
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup full-bodied red wine
2 cups beef or vegetable broth (beef broth is traditional but vegetable to make it vegetarian; it works with either)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup pearl onions, peeled (thawed if frozen)
Egg noodles, for serving
Sour cream and chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)

Heat the one tablespoon of the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms until they begin to darken, but not yet release any liquid — about three or four minutes. Remove them from pan.

Lower the flame to medium and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the carrots, onions, thyme, a few good pinches of salt and a several grinds of black pepper into the pan and cook for 10, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for just one more minute.

Add the wine to the pot, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat all the way up and reduce it by half. Stir in the tomato paste and the broth. Add back the mushrooms with any juices that have collected and once the liquid has boiled, reduce the temperature so it simmers for 20 minutes (I simmered it on low for about an hour), or until mushrooms are very tender. Add the pearl onions and simmer for five minutes more.

Combine remaining butter and the flour with a fork until combined; stir it into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency. Season to taste.

To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles, dollop with sour cream (optional) and sprinkle with chives or parsley.