Smetana Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Peel and finely chop onion. In a small, heavy-based saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Sauté onion until golden.
• Add wine, increase heat and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until liquid is reduced to about half its original volume.
• Stir flour into sour cream. Slowly add sour cream to hot liquid, stirring constantly. Bring back to a boil briefly. Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve; discard onion. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to a gravy boat and serve.

Steps:

• Clean the mushrooms: Fill the sink or a large bowl with cold water. Lay out some clean kitchen towels. Working with a few at a time, dunk the mushrooms in the water and gently swish to remove any dirt or debris. Shake off excess water and transfer to the towels to dry until excess water has been absorbed. Use your hands to tear any very large mushrooms into halves or quarters.
• In a medium-size heavy pot with a lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally. The mushrooms will first give off a lot of liquid and then it will begin to evaporate. Raise the heat as needed to keep the liquid at a fast boil.
• In a bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, sour cream and salt. When the liquid in the pot has mostly evaporated, stir in the cream mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir in the potatoes and return to a simmer. Partly cover the pot, and let simmer gently for 1 hour. Check and adjust the heat occasionally to make sure the mixture is simmering, not boiling.
• After 1 hour, test the potatoes. If they are still firm, keep simmering until they are just cooked through.
• When the potatoes are just cooked through, uncover the pot and raise the heat to a lively simmer. Cook until the braising liquid reduces and begins to caramelize, 10 to 20 minutes. It will turn golden brown and thick, like a cream sauce. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Toward the end, stir often to prevent the liquid at the bottom of the pot from scorching.
• Serve hot, mopping up the sauce with crusty bread, if desired.