How to make mushrooms POP

[OliverN]

Hi everyone!

This is my inaugural eGullet post, and I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm a 24 year old grad student who, evidently, loves to cook. I find that I'm a little alone in my passion amongst my friends: on a friday night, their grocery bags clink with the sounds of 6 packs of Heinekin, whereas mine clink with a bottle of Chianti and maybe San Pellegrino for the night's meal! I'm really excited to get involved in the egullet community and pick up some nuggets of culinary wisdom from all of you guys...

My first question regards mushrooms... Until recently. I had always lumped mushrooms with carrots, celery and brocolli as just another vegetable. The event that changed that was a dinner at a friend of a friends house where she had made this amazining porcini mushroom pasta... The mushrooms, for some reason, just POPPED with flavour, none of the water, bland stuff that I cook up! I asked her where they were from and, to my surprise, the were the same little mushrooms that I picked from the local store. Ever since I've been trying to recreate that amazing, concentrated burst of flavour that makes mushrooms so special.

So do you guys have a 'trick' to cooking mushrooms? Is it true that you shouldn't wash them? How do you know when they're done, and whats the best method for cooking them?

I only have access to store-bought 'porcini', 'cremini', and 'portobello' mushrooms (which, i have a suspicion are all variations on the same tune), and the occasional oyster and shittake as well, but I feel like the answer is right in front of me....

Cheers!

Oliver

[wallchef]

Porcini mushrooms are far nicer than cremini and portobella (which are just large cremini mushrooms). They shouldn't even really be included in the same category.

Use butter to saute.

[rlibkind]

The cremini is just the baby version of portobello, but both are of the same genus and species as is the common domestic button mushroom, agaricus bisporus. The portobello is just a larger, older version of the cremini. The porcini is a different animal (well, fungus) altogether: it's a bolete mushroom . Boletes, which come in many different varieties though porcini is the only one you usually see in stores, lacks the gills found on the underside of the mushroom cap. Instead it has thick, spongelike tube layer on the underside.

It really doesn't take much to bring out the best in mushrooms.

As for cooking the humble domestic mushroom (button white or cremini, which used to be called, simply a brown mushroom), a more mature specimen with an open veil is preferred, since it will be a bit more flavorful. For cleaning, I just take a barely dampened paper towel and wipe away any loose material. Then I simply saute in butter or olive oil (slicing or not, depending on the application and/or my mood), tossing quickly to cover over medium high heat, then reducing heat to medium and covering for a minute or two, which will induce the mushroom to give up much of its water. I then remove the lid, turn the heat back up to medium high and continue to saute until done to my liking. (Since you can eat any of these mushrooms raw, you don't have to worry about whether or not they are "done". But if you are bothering to cook them, you want to rid them of much of their water to intensfy the flavor. Finish with fresh herbs, or perhaps a splash of vermouth. You could add just a touch of garlic or more than a touch of shallot to the saute.

Sometimes I indulge myself by making a brown sauce, adding the cooked mushrooms and serving them on toast points. Simple and delish. You could also take some dried porcini, reconstitute, then use the water for the sauce. Adding a little bit of dried porcini (the more expensive Italian dried porcini is superior to the less expensive South American imports, I've found) to any dish with domestic mushrooms adds a more complex and deeper flavor, though there's nothing wrong with just plain fresh domestics.

If you can find fresh porcini (which in my neighborhood sell for about $65/pound when available, vs. $1.99 for buttoms and $2.99-$4.99 for creminis/portobellos), go for it. Same cooking technique.

A mix of different mushrooms -- fresh and dried -- is always welcome. I'll start with either white or creminis as a base, then add oysters and/or shitakes (discard the stems of the latter; they're too tough for anything except flavoring stocks). And I always add just couple of tablespoons of dried porcini, reconstituted. I also might add chanterelles or other trumpet-shaped mushrooms if they look good and are not exorbitantly priced.

Portobellos are nice, but because of their size I think they are best reserved for roasting/grilling and serving whole either stuffed or as part of a sandwich.

Mushrooms and eggs are a wonderful combination. Consider stuffing an omelet with mushrooms. One of the finest mushroom dishes I've ever had was served in the spring at L'Etoile in Madison, Wisconsin: a ring of custard adorned with a thin sauce bejeweled with sauteed chanterelles, morels, and asparagus.

Some of the more exotic varieties (hen-of-the-woods, matsutake, etc.) are better treated by different cooking methods than the basic saute I've outlined. A battered and deep-fried hen-of-the-woods is a wonder. I've yet to try matsutake, but I understand they are best used as the focal point of a broth.

Edited November 21, 2007 by rlibkind (log)

[markk]

I would just add that the Cremini (also sold as Baby Bellas) don't have a lot of water, so you don't have the problem of reabsorbing the liquid they give up.

Just experiment with sauteeing them in butter or good olive oil and see which results you like, and be sure to use a little salt and pepper to taste.

You can also sautee a minced shallot before you add the mushrooms. And/or you can start by slowly sauteeing a few peeled whole garlic cloves (slowly) to flavor the oil before you add the mushrooms.

If this is your first time making mushrooms by themselves, you'll need to experiment to find the flavor you're looking for.

You can also try a bit of fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary which can enhance the mushroomy flavor. But as with any new ingredient, it's trial and error till you find that taste that "pops" for you.

[ChefJohnny]

Sautee the mushrooms in hot oil with WHOLE thyme and WHOLE smashed garlic (remove them before you plate). Add a little butter at the end with some raw shallots, salt, pepper, and a splash of sherry vinegar. Perfect every time.

-Chef Johnny

[Doodad]

I did something the other night that I had never done and it came out fantastic.

I was making beef bourginon of sorts and I had mushrooms that I wanted to add. I had sauted the veges and was returning the meat and some fresh stock to the pot.

I had a little stock left over and sauted the mushrooms and a shallot before adding it to the pot with the mushrooms. I cooked that down until the mushrooms absorbed all the stock. Wow. Even after adding them to the main pot and cooking until the meat was tender, the mushrooms retained the most powerful flavors I had ever tasted.

[Msk]

I do something I learned here on EG, but unfortunately I forget who recommended it as it was a sidebar to another thread. They called it "Dry Frying" mushrooms.

For simple concentrated mushroom flavor, just slice them and put them in a hot skillet and keepp moving them around until the water evaporates and they carmelize., Its healthier and the best mushroom flavor I have ever had, even those bland button mushrooms work well like this.

MSK

[Chufi]

I do something I learned here on EG, but unfortunately I forget who recommended it as it was a sidebar to another thread.  They called it "Dry Frying" mushrooms.

For simple concentrated mushroom flavor, just slice them and put them in a hot skillet and keepp moving them around until the water evaporates and they carmelize., Its healthier and the best mushroom flavor I have ever had, even those bland button mushrooms work well like this.

MSK

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I think that was me who recommended that and I was going to recommend it again here

Like you say, especially if you have ordinary, white mushrooms, this is a great method to concentrate the flavors.

Often I don´t slice them but just put them whole in a very hot skillet, no oil or fat added, and dry-fry until they start to squeak - that sounds means they gave up there moisture and they´re ready!

[chezcherie]

another tip for an intense mushroom flavor is to use some dried mushrooms along with the fresh. reconstitute them in hot water, stock or (my fav) sherry, and saute them along with the fresh ones. deep, woodsy flavor and aroma.

[MattJohnson]

another tip for an intense mushroom flavor is to use some dried mushrooms along with the fresh. reconstitute them in hot water, stock or (my fav) sherry, and saute them along with the fresh ones. deep, woodsy flavor and aroma.

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As I was reading this thread, I had a lightbulb go off and wondered how great it would be to reconstitute dried mushrooms in stock. I was about to ask if anyones tried it! Hah!

[Msk]

Then Chufi I have to thank you so much for that technique because it has revolutionized my mushroom usage. They really are awesome that way. I slice the mushrooms because that is typically how I use mushrooms mostly for omelletes, stews etc.

Its amazing to watch how much liquid exudes from the mushrooms with nothing else in the pan.

Thanks!

Mike

[monavano]

another tip for an intense mushroom flavor is to use some dried mushrooms along with the fresh. reconstitute them in hot water, stock or (my fav) sherry, and saute them along with the fresh ones. deep, woodsy flavor and aroma.

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As I was reading this thread, I had a lightbulb go off and wondered how great it would be to reconstitute dried mushrooms in stock. I was about to ask if anyones tried it! Hah!

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Dried mushrooms are very strong and would overcome stock. I just put some in a pot with water and heat to simmer. Then turn off the heat and allow them to steep for 10 min. or so.

I also use thyme as my "go to " herb for mushrooms. Balsamic also marries well with mushrooms. The brightness offsets the earthiness of the mushrooms very well.

[Fugu]

Dried mushrooms are very strong and would overcome stock.

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It depends on what you are making, using stock to soak dried mushrooms makes sense, especially if you're making soups or a sauces where the predominant flavour calls for mushrooms. I make it a point to use the soaking liquid by reducing it further to intensify the mushroom flavour.

[dougal]

...  I make it a point to use the soaking liquid by reducing it further to intensify the mushroom flavour.

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Just in case it needs saying, the soaking liquid from dried mushrooms contains *lots* of mushroom flavour.

Treasure it!

Reduced or not, its a great addition to soups, stews, sauces...

But do watch out for grit. Let it settle, then strain it - the seriously wary would use a coffee filter paper.

And there's no harm in carefully rinsing and paper-towel-drying the rehydrated mushrooms themselves.

[et alors]

I reconstituted fried mushrooms in cream, and used that with a bit of parmesan as a sauce for shirred eggs. But I knew my dried mushrooms were really clean.

My husband who is french taught me how to make mushrooms taste great-- and guess what, it was dry frying (plus fat at the end to finish them.) The great thing about that is you can really wash them properly, and all it does is add a tiny bit of time to cooking.

I was reading Cook's Illustrated, and they did their usual tried 6 million ways to cook mushrooms to discover the best, and guess what: dry fry them and finish with a pat of butter.

Be happy!

[OliverN]

Thanks everyone for the tips! I tried the dry-fry technique in my cast-iron skillet the other day and they turned out wonderfully!

[Peter the eater]

Interesting thread . . . who doesn't like a good mushroom?

I especially endorse what rlibkind says about combining fresh and dried varieties. I used to balk at the prices of dried chanterelles, lobsters, trumpets, etc. until I compared the reconstituted to the fresh on a $ per gram basis. Often close if not better to buy dry.

Now I love rehydrating them in different liquids, particularly when they are way out of season.

Morels in November?

Behold:

[coquus]

Cook in enough fat, add MADIERA then butter to finish. The best chef I've worked with taught me that, I guess Sherry or whatever works, but for some reason he would reach for the Madiera, it really makes them POOP 3X FO SHOW. . .

[pax]

... but for some reason he would reach for the Madiera, it really makes them POOP 3X FO SHOW. . .

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And...this is a good thing?

[KatieLoeb]

I made a delicious Cream of Many Mushrooms soup for Thanksgiving that pretty much uses all of the techniques here. Some sauteed chopped shallots, about 1.5 lb of mixed, chopped fresh mushrooms (button, portobello, shiitake), a large carton of organic mushroom broth and an equal amount of water, half a cup of rinsed dried cepes, a couple of peeled diced potatoes, lots of fresh thyme, cooked until all was softened and then buzzed through the blender in batches. Add some fat free half and half and about half a cup of Madeira and it was quite yummy. Got rave reviews at the holiday feast as well.

[Fat Guy]

My preference is aggressive sauteeing with olive oil and salt. You get the pan very, very hot, add a little olive oil, add sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over the highest heat a home burner can produce, tossing repeatedly to avoid burning. Water comes out, the flavors concentrate and the mushrooms brown up in such a way as to enhance their flavor with desirable roasted qualities, yet they maintain a nice, non-overcooked texture.

[Doodad]

Interesting thread . . . who doesn't like a good mushroom?

Sigh. Everyone in this house except me. I could eat mushrooms in oatmeal.

[KLwood]

At Bartolotta restaurant in Las Vegas I had an amazing salad of Sliced artichoke hearts and cooked Porcini mushrooms on a bed of Arugula with some shaved Pecorino cheese.

I've reproduced that at home using dried porcinis with excellent results, and definitely SAVE the water that you used to rehydrate them in !!! strain and reduce it and youve got the beginnings of an amazing sauce.

I recently made my own cream of Mushroom soup for the first time with White mushrooms and shittake and Ill never go back to that crap in the can, even for a pot pie base.

[scubadoo97]

My preference is aggressive sauteeing with olive oil and salt. You get the pan very, very hot, add a little olive oil, add sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over the highest heat a home burner can produce, tossing repeatedly to avoid burning. Water comes out, the flavors concentrate and the mushrooms brown up in such a way as to enhance their flavor with desirable roasted qualities, yet they maintain a nice, non-overcooked texture.

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This is my approach as well. I recently did this with some criminis for an omlelet. My wife asked if I used any beef broth because they had a real beefy flavor.

[Fat Guy]

I basically adopted the aggressive-sautee approach based on two things I'd seen. First, awhile back Cook's Illustrated had one of their typical near-miss pieces where they offer insight only if you know what to ignore. In the piece, as I recall, they concluded that cooking supermarket mushrooms under the broiler yielded the best results. Second, when I was in a restaurant kitchen watching a line cook make mushrooms to be added to risotto, I noticed that he was using incredibly high heat. It was scary. A restaurant burner can put out a lot of heat, and this one was cranked up. The pan was so hot that the oil was sizzling, popping and vaporizing the second it hit the pan. When the mushrooms went in they sounded like they were being tortured. He threw in what looked like a fistful of salt but the end product was not salty at all. Flames and sparks were shooting out in every direction as the cook sauteed the mushrooms. And in the end they came out so beautifully. That was when I realized that, for mushrooms, high heat is the way to go. Whether it's the intense radiant heat of a broiler (which can be the hottest heat source in a home kitchen, if you can get the food close up enough to it) or the intense conductive heat of a super-heated skillet, that's what works for mushrooms. It expels the moisture aggressively and rapidly enough that the mushrooms don't steam themselves to limpness, it develops those great roasted, browned flavors on the surface, and you get a little crispness to the exterior with a nice soft, meaty interior on each slice. High heat is not always my preferred approach to cooking. I think aggressive sauteeing is overused, especially in American restaurant kitchens. But for mushrooms -- at least for supermarket mushrooms where the challenge is developing flavor in a product that's pretty bland off the shelf -- it's the way to go.