Celebrity chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay may be best known for his Southwestern fare and his grilling prowess but even he sometimes craves a classic dish like a French dip sandwich. “I love good American comfort food” Flay admitted on an episode of Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay.” While that may be true he’s not averse to elevating his French dip sandwich with a secret ingredient that might surprise you.
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 Food Network | 2023-01-20 00:00:18 |  54,331 Views |
Bobby Flay Makes a French Dip | Beat Bobby Flay | Food Network
They are porcini mushrooms and he adds them to the gravy – usually the roasting juices from beef – in which the steak and cheese are dipped on baguettes.
French dip may sound like it comes from overseas but it’s actually about as American as it gets. It’s said to have been invented over 100 years ago by a Los Angeles chef named Philippe Mathieu when he accidentally dropped a French roll into a skillet full of beef fat. In Flay’s version instead of beef fat he uses beef stock dried porcini mushrooms garlic onion and rosemary in his gravy. He’s said that the porcini mushrooms could be his “secret weapon.”
Many vegetarians know this cooking tip: Add porcini mushrooms to meatless dishes for an umami flavor and meatiness. And the same idea applies to the gravy that Bobby Flay dips his sandwich in. For his French dip recipe the addition of porcini mushrooms adds an earthy flavor to the dish. “They’re just going to enhance the flavor of the beef” Flay said. Porcini mushrooms have a particularly rich flavor that complements the beef broth and helps deepen its heartiness.
