After tasting mushrooms with garlic sauce at a Christmas market in Cologne, Germany, I was on a mission to recreate the dish. This is my interpretation of those German style mushrooms with garlic sauce.
This time last year, I had just come back from visiting the Cologne Christmas Markets in Germany.
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I had such a fabulous time for many reasons: it was my first time at the German Christmas markets, two cousins came to visit me while I was there, and the food was fantastic. I even did a post highlighting The Top 10 Edible Reasons to go to the German Christmas Markets.
You’ll see that one of those reasons is the German Style Mushrooms with Garlic Sauce. I had seen people lining up to order these and then eating them nearby.
As you can probably understand from seeing a close up of these beauties, why I was so smitten with them and the creamy deliciousness of the garlic sauce. You probably already know that as I was eating them, I had already decided I was going to try to recreate this dish in my own kitchen.
Now, I’m kicking myself that I didn’t go and ask some questions about how the mushrooms were cooked and the ingredients that were used! For a year now, I have done searches on both English and German Google for a similar recipe, to no avail. I did ask the cook what was in the sauce and I gathered it was garlic and dill, since he didn’t speak English and I don’t speak German.
Another German recipe you may enjoy over the holidays: Zimtsterne.
So I’m asking you, Dear Readers, if you are German, or know someone who is, or who knows how these wonderful German style mushrooms with garlic sauce are properly made, please share the recipe with me!
The sauce I made tasted rather like the one in Germany although I didn’t put as much dill, and although mushrooms always taste good no matter how they are cooked, they definitely weren’t like the ones I had at the market. As you can see, there is some sort of reddish sauce with the mushrooms.
Until the time that I learn the proper way to make these, here is my version of the dish. It tasted good, but compared to the market mushrooms, it just wasn’t the same.
My Interpretation of German Style Mushrooms
with Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
8 oz package of whole mushrooms, cleaned
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
black pepper, if desired
Garlic Sauce
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/3 cup (5 1/2 oz) heavy cream
1/3 cup (5 1/2 oz) creme fraiche
1/2 tsp dill
1/4 tsp sea salt, to taste
Make the garlic sauce ahead of time, even the day before, if you like. Whisk the cream and creme fraiche together until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients. Chill for a minimum of 2 hours, so the flavors meld.
Saute the onion for about 4 minutes then add the mushrooms until cooked, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Serve the German mushrooms with the garlic sauce poured over the top, with a slice of bread in the side of the bowl (as served at the German Christmas market).
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My Interpretation of German Style Mushrooms with Garlic Sauce (Market Champignons)
If you know the proper recipe for these German market mushrooms, please let me know! This is only my interpretation.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 8 oz package of whole mushrooms, cleaned
- 1/2 small onion, minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- black pepper, if desired
Garlic Sauce
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/3 cup (5 1/2 oz) heavy cream
- 1/3 cup (5 1/2 oz) creme fraiche
- 1/2 tsp dill
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Make the garlic sauce ahead of time, even the day before, if you like. Whisk the cream and creme fraiche together until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients. Chill for a minimum of 2 hours, so the flavors meld.
- Sauté the onion for about 4 minutes then add the mushrooms until cooked, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- Serve the mushrooms, with the garlic sauce poured over the top, with a slice of bread in the side of the bowl (as served at the German Christmas market).
Please do let me know if you find the proper recipe, or better yet, if you’re able to go to to this stall at the Cologne market and ask them directly at the source, I’d be forever grateful!
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German style mushrooms with garlic sauce
I’m also looking to try these amazing mushrooms! I’ve found a bunch of recipes, all of them are slightly different, but yours looks along the same lines as any other I’ve looked at. My big question – where do you get Creme Fraiche?
If you want to check some “real” recipes, google “Champignons Weihnachtsmarkt”, and it’ll give you alot of results, albeit in German…but as I said, they don’t look much different from yours!
Hi Robin, yes, I love these mushrooms so much, too! Creme fraiche is available at Trader Joe’s if you have one nearby. Whole Foods also carries it. Not sure where you are, though.
[…] Little mushrooms sauteed in spices and topped with a tangy creme fraiche (or sour cream) garlic […]