Gratin of Mushrooms

Prep : 40 minutes       Cooking time : 3o minutes     Makes 4 servings

A gratin makes it easy  to put food on the table  in no time  at all . Many of the ingredients are already cooked when the dish  is assembled .
A gratin  can be prepared  many ways  . It might  or might be topped  with grated cheese  or buttered bread crumbs . The vegetables can ensconced  in a custardy  base like  a crust-less quiche  (such as  Gratin of Green Beans)  or embedded in a seasoned white sauce . You ask what's on top ; Gratin topping  should be  long on crunch  and flavor . Sprinkle  them  with buttered bread crumbs  or use finely  chopped nuts  for a change  of pace . Parmesan , Cheddar  and Gruyere  cheese all melted  well and brown even better .

4               tablespoons butter or margarine
1               medium-size  white onion , diced
3               garlic cloves , minced
2               large shallots , chopped
1               pound  cultivated  mushrooms , trimmed  and thinly sliced
8               ounces  Portobello  or other mushrooms  , trimmed  and thinly slice
1              teaspoon salt
1/2           teaspoon black pepper
1/2           cup fine  dry bread crumbs
1/3           cup grated Parmesan  cheese
1/4           cup chopped  parsley

1.      Preheat  the oven to 400*F . In a 10-inch   skillet over  low heat , melt 1 tablespoon  of the butter . Add onion , 2 teaspoons  of garlic  and shallots  and saute until lightly brown ---about  5 minutes . Remove to a small bowl  and set aside .
2 .      Saute  mushrooms  in 2 tablespoons  of the butter  , in 2 batches  if necessary  , until  juices  cook out  and evaporate  --- about 5 minutes . Add salt , pepper  and reserved onion mixture  and spoon into ungreased  10-inch  oval gratin dish .
3 .      Melt the remaining  1 tablespoon  butter  in a small  skillet . Add to bread  crumbs  along with Parmesan cheese , the remaining  1 teaspoon  garlic  and parsley  and toss to mix .
4 .        Scatter bread crumbs  mixture  evenly  over  mushrooms  and bake  uncovered  for 30 minutes  .