German Christmas Market Mushrooms with Garlic Sauce (Market Champignons)
German Christmas market mushrooms with garlic sauce is a dish that you can buy at the stalls of the Cologne Christmas markets, as I discovered. I bet you’ll want to make this dish at home, just like I did!
This time last year, I had just come back from visiting the Cologne Christmas Markets in Germany and had my first taste of German Christmas market mushrooms.
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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 wrote 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 Christmas market 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.
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.
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 German Christmas market mushrooms.
Until the time that I learn the proper way to make these, here is my version of the dish. I have made it several times now and although it’s not quite the same as eating it outside in a German Christmas market, it’s still so good!
This beautiful still life of German Christmas market mushrooms is by my talented friend, Lorna Lopez! Isn’t it fantastic? She’s fantastic both in front of, and behind the camera!
German Christmas Market Mushrooms
with Garlic Sauce (Recipe)
Inspired by a dish at the Cologne Christmas market serves 2
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil
- butter
- whole mushrooms
- onion
- sea salt
- black pepper, if desired
Garlic Sauce
- garlic
- heavy cream
- creme fraiche
- dill
- sea salt
Make the Garlic Sauce
Make the garlic sauce ahead of time, even the day before, if you like. Whisk the cream and creme fraîche together until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients. Chill for a minimum of 2 hours, so the flavors meld.
Prepare the German Christmas Market Mushrooms
Sauté 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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German Christmas Market Mushrooms with Garlic Sauce (Market Champignons)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 8 oz whole mushrooms (cleaned)
- ½ small onion (minced)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper (to taste, if desired)
Garlic Sauce:
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup creme fraiche
- ½ tsp dill
- ¼ 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).
Notes
- Omit the garlic or dill for any dietary reasons.
Nutrition
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German style mushrooms
Hi,
I think they use small brown mushrooms and cook them over a high heat then when they start to sweat add paprika, small amounts of rosemary, thyme and oregano.
There may also be parsley in the sauce along with the dill
No, those are definitely much different than the ones I had.
Ha I tasted the same they were amazing! I would like to try myself. One thing I do no is 1 glove of garlic would not be enough for a bowl. When I was there, my nose is like a garlic detector 😀. The mushrooms were heavily cooked in garlic. I may follow your recipe and add more garlic gloves, but I do agree they were fantastic! The mushrooms were not soft, almost crunch like.
If you ever find out, let me know 😀
Thanks
Rob
Good to know, Rob and yes, you can bet if I ever find them again I won’t leave until I have the recipe! :)
I am just taking a guess what the sauce might be by looking at the pictures of the sauce to try to determine what might be in there. The spices I saw resembled some sort of “barbecue” style sauces, so I looked it up and I think I may have found what the sauce is. I will post a link for you. https://barbecuebible.com/recipe/bratwurst-curry-sauce-currywurst/
I sure hope that is it. We have traveled through Austria, Germany, Italy, Azores, etc. Sometimes a certain food just stays in your memory and makes you long for it, again. I totally understand how you feel. Have a blessed day! :)
Thanks so much, Tena! Unfortunately, it’s not even close as this is a ketchup based currywurst sauce. Maybe when I go back I will get the proper recipe from the source. Thanks, though! :)
Came across your blog as I was specifically looking for this recipe after being to the Christmas markets in Berlin! Any luck finding it? Your interpretation looks good, will be trying it :)
Actually, another blogger friend was in Cologne and I think she got it, but never forwarded to me yet! If she did, I’ll message you back here. Thanks, Andrea.
We visited a Christmas Market today, 12 Dec 2015, near Nuremburg, The Romantischer Weihnachtsmarkt Gut Wolfgangshof in the small town of Anwanden (Zirndorf). They had the mushrooms and they were so great, I had to see if I could find the recipe online. I wish I had taken pictures for you!! Here is the link to their site. Will try your recipe and the other one as well. Thanks!!!
Lana and Roger
I love your take on this recipe Christina. Never heard of these mushrooms before but last time we were in the Black Forest they were serving a different kind of mushroom and putting it in all sorts of dishes. I’ll have to ask around – and come April next year we have a German school student staying with us for a week so I’ll be pestering her for a recipe!
My recipe is close, but I just wish I could find someone who knows the original and authentic version of these. Yes, please pester your exchange student when she arrives! :)
How could you go wrong with mushrooms in a cream sauce no matter how it is made! :)
Looks delicious.
Good point, Cathy! :)