CROUTES COMPTOISE, CREAMED MUSHROOMS WITH CHEESE

Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound small white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
7 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
several grinds freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 one-inch thick slices French bread cut on the bias
1/2 cup Compte or Gruyere, grated
1 tbsp. parsley chopped

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400

Melt the butter in a large skillet and cook mushrooms rapidly over a high heat until they begin to give off steam, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Lower heat and add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and stir in cream.

Arrange the slices of bread on a baking pan, make a slight hollow in the middle of each slice and toast lightly in the oven 3 minutes.

Spoon the creamed mushrooms over the slices and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Return to the oven and bake until golden, about 10 minutes, and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.