Cooking Connection is a new Journal-World feature that prints favorite reader recipes. This week’s featured cook is Doug Burger, Lawrence, with his Champignon et Champagne creation.

Why it’s special: This recipe is simple to make and is a great side dish for fancy steaks, roast beef or fish such as trout or salmon. It can also be served cold as an hors d’oeuvre. My wife, Sally, and I were camping along the Gros Vente River near the Grand Tetons in Wyoming in the summer of 1992. I caught a couple of nice native trout and we decided to do them up for dinner. One problem, what to do about side dishes? We were a good 25 miles up a dirt road and at least another 10 to Jackson Hole and a grocery store.

Along with many basics we had some mushrooms we were going to use in a salad. We also had a couple bottles of Champagne in the cooler. Thus of necessity was born the following recipe. My daughter and several friends have suggested I should jar them up and sell them in gourmet food shops.

Champignon et Champagne

1 pound button mushrooms, brushed clean

1/4 pound butter

8-10 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with a press or minced

1 bottle champagne

Melt the butter over medium low heat in a large skillet or saute pan, don’t let it brown. Add the garlic and simmer for about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and turn to coat with the garlic butter. Pour in the champagne (yes, the whole bottle, buy two if you want to sip some while they cook!). Bring to a low boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer them slowly, turning them over about every 15 minutes or so.

Simmer until the champagne has pretty much all steamed away and you have about 1/4-1/2 cup liquid in the pan. Watch closely near the end, you don’t want to scorch them. Serve as a side with fish or on top of a steak. They make a great hors d’oeuvre. Just chill them in fridge until ready to serve.

– Do you have a recipe you’re known for, or one that means something special to you? Send it to Terry Rombeck at trombeck@ljworld.com or 645 N.H., Lawrence, 66044.