Mushroom and Edamame Bean Brandy Cream Sauce

I loved this dish from the Play Food and Wine fall menu so much I had it every single time I came in, which this fall, was a lot. Then 2010 rolls around and no gnocchi – not cool. Seriously.

Since I’m now dairy-free, it seemed like as good a time as any to make this dish “gatherworthy”. I’m not sure how Mike Moffatt will feel about it but I’ve done my best to produce a vegan knock-off of his insanely popular dish. I’m hoping he’ll be more flattered than horrified.

Making the gnocchi is a very long process and detailed in post devoted entirely to that labour of love so I’m only including the recipe for the sauce in this one. If you’re not into gnocchi or had other plans for the evening, this sauce would also work nicely with Israeli couscous or pappardelle.

Now on with the delicious sauce that spawned a season-long obsession.

Mushroom and Edamame Bean Brandy Cream Sauce

inspired by Mike Moffatt of Play Food and Wine and Beckta Fine Dining and Wine, makes 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes / Active time: 20 minutes

For the Sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Stick
1/2 cup cashew cream
1/2 cup white wine
2 oz. brandy
3 leeks, rinsed well, halved and sliced finely
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups mushrooms, sliced (cremini, shiitake and oysters are nice and can be found in most places)
1 cup frozen or fresh edamame beans
1 tbsp Better than Bouillon vegetable stock paste
4 or 5 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1.5 tsp dried
sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a saute pan over medium heat, bring olive oil and Earth Balance up to temperature. Add leeks and saute for 8 minutes.
2. In a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil and add the vegetable stock paste and stir until completely dissolved. Add edamame beans and cook for 4 minutes if frozen and 2-3 minutes if fresh. Once cooked, drain beans reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid and place in a cold water bath for 2-3 minutes to halt the cooking. Drain again and set aside.
3. Add flour to leeks and stir until evenly distributed. Add mushrooms, thyme and white wine and simmer for another 6-7 minutes. Should the mushroom leek mixture become dry add the edamame cooking liquid a tbsp at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Mixture should be wet but not watery.
4. Add brandy and saute for a minute. Add cashew cream and edamame beans then saute for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, serve over your pasta of choice and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme. Yum.