Champiñones al Jerez (Mushrooms in Sherry Sauce)

This week Hippocrene brings the taste of Spain to the dinner table, with recipes from the A Spanish Family Cookbook: Favorite Family Recipes (Revised Edition), by Juan & Susan Serrano.

We are fortunate enough to have access to good quality fino from the family's old sherry bodega, so this is a dish which appears regularly on our table, both as a starter or a tapa (appetizer).

Serves 4-6 as a tapa

4 cups (about 1 lb) button mushrooms
¼ cup fino (bone dry) sherry
1 clove garlic--chopped
1 small onion--chopped finely
pinch cumin
1 tablespoon chopped sweet basil
¼ cup oil
seasoning to taste

Wash the mushrooms well (or peel, if preferred) and dry on paper towel.

Put the oil in a large frying pan and saute the garlic and onions until soft. Add the mushrooms, basil, cumin and seasoning, stir well and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Pour in the fino (dry sherry), cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes (add a little water, if necessary). Serve immediately.