A Perfect Bowl of Mushrooms

Yes, it's ok to rinse your mushrooms

Mushrooms are one of my favorite foods. With over 2,000 species of edible mushrooms, there is a ton of variety from which to choose and cook. And even with all this variety, the trick to cooking mushrooms remains simple: release the excess moisture in the mushroom by lightly cooking/steaming, increase the heat and brown the mushrooms so they have a deep and rich flavor, then season with some fat, acid, and basic aromatics. Seems simple enough right?

The problem is that most people either undercook or overcook their mushrooms (or both) and leave them tasting like petite wet earth sponges.

The process I use is quite fool-proof. I lightly saute my mushrooms with shallots and garlic in a mixture of avocado oil and butter until they are slightly wilted and “wet”. Then I turn down the heat and cover the mushrooms with a lid or another pan. This allows the mushrooms to steam and quickly release their moisture. Once the majority of the moisture is released, I turn up the heat, brown the mushrooms on all sides, add a splash of wine/vinegar/liquor, reduce, and mount the final product with a dollop of whole butter and fresh herbs.

It’s this simple. The key is cleaning your mushrooms, steaming them properly, and getting a proper brown on the boomer.

To get my mushrooms clean, I DO rinse them or soak them in cold water. The idea that mushrooms will absorb moisture and inhibit the browning process if you rinse them is incorrect. They do not absorb enough moisture during the soaking or rinsing process, so go ahead and clean away!

Always use a larger saute pan than you need when cooking mushrooms so you have the space to stir them consistently during the browning process.

Ingredients:

5 oz package crimini or button mushrooms whole

5 oz package shitake mushrooms

5 oz package of enoki, chanterelle, maitake or any wild mushroom

1 small shallot finely minced

3 tablespoon finely chopepd fresh fennel

3 cloves garlic minced

2 tablespoons whole unsalted butter to saute

1 teaspoon avocado oil

2 tablespoons whole unsalted butter to finish

1 cup red or white wine (whichever you prefer) or 1/2 cup sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or tarragon chopped (whichever taste you like)

1 teaspoon fresh chives sliced

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan (optional)

Steps:

1. Add butter to a pan and bring to medium-high heat. Add your shallots and fennel and sweat until translucent, about 2 minutes.

2. Add your mushrooms, mix with the butter and shallots, and saute for roughly 1 minute over medium heat. Lower the heat and cover the mushrooms. Cook for about 2 minutes then check the mushrooms to make sure they are releasing water and steaming under the cover.

3. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the majority of the moisture has evaporated. At this point you add your garlic, this prevents it from burning or over-cooking. Deglaze with white wine, red wine, or sherry vinegar (you can even use cognac or brandy if you are making a steak topping). Reduce until almost dry.

4. At the end, turn the heat off and fold in whole butter and the fresh herbs. Top with freshly sliced chives.