Iguana’s Mushroom Sauce
When you start a new relationship, friendly or romantic, it’s nice to start new habits together. Going to a new place that becomes your “special” spot, book a trip to somewhere that you’ve never been to, have a get together once a week, enjoy the same kinds of drinks, are many examples of creating new habits. One thing that is quite common for couples or friends to share together is either their hangout bar/pub or a restaurant.
When David and I started going out, our thing was to try new restaurants… what a surprise! It had always been my “thing” to do but not so much his. I guess my passion rubbed off on him. So after I moved to British Columbia, we went to many new restaurants and bistros together. I believe he wanted me to feel welcome and comfortable in my new hometown and its surroundings.
One nice and sunny autumn afternoon – the Vancouver area is breathtaking during the fall season when it doesn’t rain, David and I went to the pier in White Rock. As we were walking along Marine Drive with its many quaint bars, bistros, pubs and restaurants, we decided to go to Iguana’s Beach Grill. With its wooden floor and walls filled with records and posters from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, we sat comfortably by the garage door window to enjoy the view of the ocean.
Oh my! This restaurant became our favorite “spot” right from that day! It wasn’t any fancy pants “foo-foo” food, it was simply comfort food at its best! Everything and I mean everything on the menu was absolutely a-m-a-z-i-n-g! It had just the right selection to appeal to everyone. Linda, the owner of that lovely establishment, had the perfect set up; nothing was too posh or too pricey! She had a decent affordable wine selection along with a well stocked bar. Unfortunately Linda sold her business and we found out the hard way. One evening after being away for a few weeks, we were walking to our “spot” and saw a sign hanging at the door saying Iguana’s was closed and a new restaurant was coming soon… bummer!
After this sad discovery, somehow David was able to contact Linda’s daughter who recognized him right away – we went there at least 3 times a month. During the conversation, David asked for a few recipes like the Mushroom Sauce and without hesitation, she willingly emailed them to us. One thing we were not thinking straight about was these recipes were based on restaurant volume… not for home cooking!
Today I’ll be sharing our version of Linda’s famous mushroom sauce that was served over Chicken Breasts. As delightful as it was, we couldn’t easily subtract the recipe amounts down to home meal portions without losing some serious flavor. Here’s the thing… there are certain recipes that can easily be doubled or reduced but there are also some you can’t which was the case with this sauce. Also, unlike Linda, we didn’t have to serve 100+ patrons a day therefore we’ve decided to spice things up a little… just a little!
The lesson in all this is by losing our favorite restaurant, we were able to recreate a similar mushroom sauce recipe that we both really enjoy. Every time we make this incredible Iguana’s Mushroom Sauce, nostalgically we think of our lovely friend Linda, her competent staff, her incredible dishes and our “special spot” that no longer exists. Cheers to you Linda… we miss you!
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other incredible sauce recipes…
– Basic Brown Sauce
– Bolognese Sauce
– Citrus Cranberry Sauce
– Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
– Tartar Sauce
– Smoky Buffalo Wing Sauce
and for even more delicious sauce recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Sauces & Marinades
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Iguana's Mushroom Sauce
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. butter tips & tricks
- 1 lb. (500 g) mixed mushrooms (such as Portobello, King Oyster, Enoki, Shitake, White Button, Cremini), thinly sliced
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1/4 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1/4 cup dry white wine or Marsala wine
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp. Busha Browne's Spicy Pepper Sherry® or cooking sherry
- 2 cups 35% heavy cream
- 2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1/3 cup cold water
- 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. black truffle oil
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped tips & tricks
Directions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add butter and when it’s melted, add mushrooms; season with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. Sauté the mushrooms until soft, about 3 minutes
- Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add wine and cook until it reduces by half.
- Add chicken broth, sherry and heavy cream; stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Pour in the cornstarch mixture and stir until the sauce starts to thicken, about 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add rosemary, basil, thyme, truffle oil and cayenne pepper. Combine and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Just before serving, stir in the parsley. Spoon the sauce over grilled chicken breasts or pork.
Don't forget to rate and comment on this recipe!
Isn’t it such a beautiful recipe? Just like you, I enjoy serving it with meat as well as with vegetables. What can I say… we’re “fancy”…lol! Have a fabulous day and thank you for your comment!
I have been cooking mushrooms this way for years, I did not realize I was “restaurant fancy” !
It goes with any meat, or just steamed vegetables.
Thank you for sharing it with us.
Ana-Maria