Julienne is a dish that, thanks to its gentle, pleasant taste, won the hearts of many. Actually, in France they called the method of slicing vegetables: thin slices of only 2 mm, about 6 cm long. There was no dish with that name in those days, but it was similar and it was called “cocot”, hence the name of the dishes in which it cooked - cocotte.
There are many options for cooking julienne with a variety of ingredients, but mushroom julienne can be considered a kind of classic. This hot appetizer is quite simple to prepare, but at the exit it has an unrivaled taste and aroma. So, here are some tips for making mushroom julienne.
First, all ingredients must be properly sliced. This is one of the main ingredients on the way to a delicious dish. Mushrooms are cut into thin strips or small cubes, vegetables, depending on the type, are cut into rings or thin strips. It is better to pre-cook meat products, cut them in the same way as the other components - very thinly.
Secondly, such types of mushrooms are suitable for cooking dishes: champignons, ceps, chanterelles.
Thirdly, julienne will have an unpleasant bitter taste if the onion in it is well-fried, so it should be removed from the heat as soon as it becomes transparent.
Fourth, adding meat components to the mushroom julienne, make sure that they have a soft and delicate structure. A great option would be chicken, not dry fish, ham, shrimp.
Fifth, do not neglect such a component as cheese. It should be a lot. The most suitable cheese varieties for julienne are gruyere, emmental, gouda. They all melt perfectly. If you want to get a crisp - mix grated cheese with finely ground breadcrumbs.
The main secret of delicious and tender julienne is sauce. The best option is a classic bechamel sauce. It can be added to the pan after the ingredients are fried, or pour directly into the cocotte maker.
Having familiarized with the theoretical part, it is time to start practice and prepare mushroom julienne. First, prepare the sauce.
Bechamel sauce
Ingredients: butter (100 g.), Salt, wheat flour (3 tbsp. Tablespoons), milk (800 g.).
Cooking. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Separately, fry the flour until golden brown. Mix butter with flour and pour milk into a container, salt. Beat thoroughly with a whisk and bring the mass to a boil. Remove from heat before the sauce has time to boil. If desired, add your favorite spices, cheese or white wine.
After the sauce is ready, you can proceed to the direct preparation of mushroom julienne.
Mushroom julienne
Ingredients: a pound of champignons, two onions, vegetable oil, one chicken breast, hard cheese (300 gr.), Parsley or any other herbs, pepper, salt.
Cooking. We rinse and chop the champignons into strips, chicken in thin strips. We chop the onion. Pour a little vegetable oil into a cast-iron pan, pour onion and fry until the onion becomes transparent, add mushrooms and chicken to it, fry for another 5 minutes (stirring).
We spread the mass over the cocotte makers, filling them in 2/3, pour in the bechamel sauce, generously crush the grated cheese on top. We send the cocotte into the oven and bake for 10 minutes at a high (220 degrees) temperature. Sprinkle the prepared mushroom julienne with herbs. Serve hot.
You can cook julienne not only in the oven, but also in an air grill or microwave. In order to cook julienne in the microwave, set the power to 600 and set the timer for 11 minutes. After this time, turn on the "grill" mode and cook until a delicious golden crust appears. To cook in the air grill, put the pots on the lower grill and cook for about 20 minutes.