Mushroom Julienne

This is a Russian recipe but of French origin. I believe the Mushroom Julienne became popular in Russia in the old days when the Russian aristocracy liked to employ the French chefs. I have fond memories of eating it in the old cafe in Moscow, where it has traditionally been served in metal mini dishes with a ladle-like handle.

Mushroom Julienne (serves 3-4, depending on the size of ramekins0
Ingredients:
300g chestnut mushrooms
2tbsp butter, preferably clarified
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of dried or fresh thyme
4 heaped tbsp of thick Greek style yogurt or soured cream
3 tbsp mayonnaise
fresh flat leaf parsley, torn
Slice the mushrooms thinly (hence the name - julienne). Fry them quickly in the clarified butter, season with salt and nutmeg. Add the soured cream or thick yogurt, mayonnaise and thyme and mix well. Cook for about 5 minutes. Spoon the mix into the ramekins and place them in the oven preheated to 180C. Cook for another 5-7 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves.
Serve with a nice chunk of bread to dip in and mop up all the lovely sauce.
This dish is very satisfying, a real comfort food.
There are quite a few variations of this dish, some cooks like to add a bit of grated cheese, some add the onion or garlic. I prefer a simple version.

The original recipe asks for ceps or fresh porcini mushrooms. Since these are not widely available, I used chestnut mushrooms, as they have more flavour than bland white mushrooms.

Chris from Cooking Around the World has challenged the foodies to take part in a culinary-football-themed game this month. Read all about the rules of the game in his linky Bloggers Around the World.