Top 52 Mushroom Dishes
in the World

Mushroom julienne, or zhulien, is a hot appetizer of mushrooms and onions baked in a rich cream or sour-cream sauce beneath a layer of melted cheese. It is usually served in a small individual metal or ceramic vessel called a kokotnitsa, producing a concentrated portion with a browned cheese crust and a thick, creamy mushroom filling underneath. Chicken is another common addition, while seafood and other fillings appear in less common versions. The name has an unusual history. In French culinary terminology, julienne refers to food, especially vegetables, cut into long, fine strips similar to matchsticks. The term was in print by the early eighteenth century, and its exact etymology remains uncertain. In Russia, the borrowed word gradually acquired a very different meaning. Instead of referring only to the knife cut, zhulien became associated with a category of small, hot appetizers baked with sauce, especially mushrooms or poultry with sour cream or béchamel and grated cheese. Versions of this type were already served in restaurants before the Revolution, but the precise moment when the French term became attached to the baked appetizer is not securely documented. It became firmly established during the Soviet era, when mushroom julienne was a familiar restaurant and banquet-menu starter. By the second half of the twentieth century, the small handled kokotnitsa and its bubbling cheese-topped filling had become closely associated with formal restaurant service. The classic mushroom version begins with onions softened gently in butter until translucent. White button mushrooms are the most accessible choice, although porcini, chanterelles, and other woodland mushrooms can give the filling a deeper flavor. The mushrooms are sliced into strips or small pieces and added to the hot pan. They release a considerable amount of liquid as they heat, so they are usually left over fairly strong heat until that moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown. The creamy binder varies. Often it’s sour cream, sometimes mixed with a little flour so that it thickens evenly and remains stable during baking. Another is béchamel based on butter, flour, and milk. Cream may also appear on its own or together with sour cream. Once added to the mushrooms and onions, the sauce is heated gently until it coats the ingredients and forms a thick ragout rather than a loose liquid. The mixture is then divided among kokotnitsas. These are small portion-sized vessels, historically most often metal, with a narrow body and a long handle. Typical examples hold roughly 100–150 ml and were designed specifically for hot appetizers served directly from the oven. Ceramic ramekins are now equally practical when the characteristic metal vessels are unavailable. To finish, a layer of grated semi-hard or hard cheese covers the mushrooms, with Gouda, Edam, Gruyère, and Emmental being the typical choice. The filled vessels are placed in a hot oven until the sauce bubbles around the edges, and the cheese melts into a golden crust. The ideal result has a clear contrast between the surface and the filling. The cheese should be melted and browned, while underneath it the mushrooms remain juicy and are held together by a thick, smooth dairy sauce. The sauce should not be watery, which is why allowing the mushrooms to release and evaporate their moisture before adding the dairy is important. One of the most popular variations adds chicken. Cooked chicken is cut into fine strips or small pieces and combined with the mushrooms before the sauce is added. This produces a more substantial version while retaining the same sour-cream or béchamel base and cheese topping. Chicken-and-mushroom julienne became particularly common on restaurant and banquet menus. Shrimp, scallops, squid, fish, or combinations of seafood can replace the mushrooms or accompany them. Because seafood toughens quickly, it requires much less time in the pan before the sauce and final oven heating. Mushroom julienne is served immediately after baking. The kokotnitsa arrives extremely hot and is normally placed on a small underplate or saucer covered with a napkin or paper doily, protecting the table and making the vessel easier to handle. Decorative paper covers, or papillotes, have also been fitted around the handles in formal restaurant service. The appetizer is eaten directly from the kokotnitsa rather than transferred to another plate. A small cocotte fork may accompany it, although a teaspoon or coffee spoon is also used. The utensil breaks through the browned cheese layer and reaches the creamy mushroom mixture underneath. Its place at banquets also explains its association with alcoholic drinks and larger meals. Hot julienne could appear among the sequence of appetizers served around vodka and other spirits, followed by more substantial courses. The idea that its high fat content was specifically intended to “coat the stomach,” however, is better treated as a later explanation than as the appetizer's original purpose.