100 Favorite Dishes, No. 99: The Mushroom Bouchee at Gemma

Leading up to September's Best of Dallas® 2016 issue, we're sharing (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes, the Dallas entrées, appetizers and desserts that really stuck with us this year. There's something beautifully indulgent about starting a meal with a puff pastry — but when's the last time...

By Beth Rankin

June 2, 2016

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Leading up to September's Best of Dallas® 2016 issue, we're sharing (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes, the Dallas entrées, appetizers and desserts that really stuck with us this year.

There's something beautifully indulgent about starting a meal with a puff pastry — but when's the last time you opted for a puff pastry slathered in mushrooms and gravy?

Gemma's mushroom bouchee offers up just that, with a dish made up of individual components that sing: the buttery, fresh bouchee made fresh in-house; the cognac demi-glace made with both veal stock and roasted chicken reduction; the tender woodiness of sautéed mushrooms. Depending on when you visit, the mushrooms may change — you could find maitakes, Texas oyster mushrooms, Texas shiitake or morels swimming in that demi-glace. No matter the mushroom, this is a worthy dish.

Served on the side: an herb salad, made with petite greens from local farm Greens and Goodies, with Parmesan crisps and a Champagne vinaigrette. This play between the delicate and the indulgent is something Gemma really excels at.

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Beth Rankin is an Ohio native and Cicerone-certified beer server who specializes in social media, food and drink, travel and news reporting. Her belief system revolves around the significance of Topo Chico, the refusal to eat crawfish out of season and the importance of local and regional foodways.

Contact: Beth Rankin

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