Mushroom Lasagna - porcini

Method

• Place the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup and pour 2 cups boiling water over them.
• Let soak 30 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Place a strainer over a bowl, line it with cheesecloth or paper towels, and drain the mushrooms.
• Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract all the flavorful juices.
• If using shiitakes, cut away and discard the stems.
• Then rinse the mushrooms, away from the bowl with the soaking liquid, until they are free of sand.
• Squeeze dry and set aside.
• Chop coarsely.
• Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the shallots or onion.
• Cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and salt to taste.
• Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and to sweat, about 5 minutes.
• Add the wine and turn the heat to high.
• Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down and glazes the mushrooms, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add thyme and stir in the mushroom soaking liquid.
• Bring to a simmer, add salt, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth has reduced by a little more than half, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt.
• Meanwhile, make the bechamel.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan.
• Add the shallot or onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until smooth and bubbling, but not browned.
• It should have the texture of wet sand.
• Whisk in the milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken.
• Turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and has lost its raw-flour taste.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Strain while hot into the pan with the mushrooms.
• Assemble the lasagna.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Oil or butter a 2-quart rectangular baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add 3 or 4 lasagna noodles, just the number you need for one layer.
• Cook only until flexible, and using tongs or a skimmer, remove from the pan and set on a kitchen towel to drain.
• Spoon a thin layer of bechamel and mushrooms over the bottom of the dish.
• Top with a layer of noodles.
• Spread a ladleful of the mushroom/bechamel mixture over the noodles and top with a layer of Parmesan.
• Cook the next layer of noodles and continue to repeat the layers (I get three layers in my pan), ending with a layer of the mushroom/bechamel mixture topped with Parmesan.
• Cover with foil and place in the oven.
• Bake 30 minutes.
• Remove the foil, and if you want the edges of the noodles crispy and the top lightly browned, continue to bake uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes.
• Serve hot or warm.