I thought I hated mushrooms, but yours are making me reconsider.
– My brother
Mushrooms are one of my favorite ingredients to cook with, bringing rich umami flavor and a delightfully meaty texture to dishes. Because they can be so delicious, it makes me sad that so few people seem to get them right. I’ve seen even nice restaurants serve pale, watery mushrooms, which is a travesty, especially when the fix is so simple.
Mushrooms are fungi, not plants. Culinarily, this puts them Source: I made it up. Are you here for scientific rigor, or delicious mushrooms? between vegetables and meat. Cooking mushrooms like a vegetable doesn’t let them live up to their full potential.
For some reason, every recipe seems to call for adding onions and other vegetables before mushrooms. WRONG. Mushrooms contain a lot of water, and it’s important to give the mushrooms some alone time in the pan to let that liquid cook off. Otherwise, the liquid will interfere with the sautéing of the other ingredients, rendering them soggy, and you’ll undercook the mushrooms for fear of overcooking the other ingredients. Cook the mushrooms first, and don’t add other ingredients to the pan until the mushrooms stop releasing water. A generous sprinkle of salt added along with the mushrooms will help draw out the liquid, as well as enhancing their flavor.
Once the mushrooms stop releasing liquid, continue cooking them until they start to brown. A bit of a sear adds depth of flavor and texture, and mushrooms are quite sturdy. There’s a big window between ready and overcooked, so don’t be afraid to let the mushrooms cook! Once the mushrooms are a bit browned, it’s finally time to add other ingredients alongside them. The mushrooms will happily sit in the pan and absorb the delicious flavors as they develop.
Cook mushrooms first, with plenty of salt, and enough time and heat to release their liquid and start browning before adding vegetables to the pan. You’ll be rewarded with rich flavors and tender textures that are sure to impress!