Yes, even if you want delicious fried mushrooms. Boil them first! You’ve got to listen to the experts. And boiling mushrooms first is what Chef Jim Fuller, a fine dining chef and a scientist, says. It’s all about the science. So if you want super delicious mushrooms, read on, give it a try for yourself and see what a difference it makes.
So yes, it turns out that most of us have been cooking mushrooms the wrong way, according to Fuller. He uses science to get it right – and delicious.
The standard wisdom of cooking mushrooms has a number of rules that have been adopted through the years. One of the big ones is to never let mushrooms come into contact with water; instead, they should be brushed dry and then sautéed, most often in butter.
Now all that can be thrown out the window thanks to a video shared online by Chef Jim Fuller, a Texan chef now living in Melbourne, Australia, who explains why cooking mushrooms by boiling them is the right way to do it. Well go figure!
To be fair, though, he should know all about this. He is not only a chef, but a mycologist who has worked in the field for the past 12 years, and spent years researching how best to cook mushrooms so that the flavour and nutrition are maximised – in other words, a serious expert.
Cook any kind of mushroom using this method for a flavour that is “delicious, earthy, meaty.” Mushrooms are boiled to the correct consistency and then olive oil is added.
The idea is that you first need to boil the mushrooms, adding additional water as you go until they are boiled to perfection. This process results in the water being cooked out of the mushroom flesh.
He describes the process as being similar to cooking pasta until it’s al dente. You periodically check if the mushrooms have a good bite to it. Continue cooking it for a little while longer while it has a chewy texture.
He notes that it is impossible to over-boil a mushroom due to their one of a kind cellular structure. It is good to start the process with just a small amount of water added during the boiling process as the mushrooms themselves will release their own internally held water during the process, much of which will evaporate off.
Once the mushrooms are perfectly tender, let the water evaporate until the pan is basically dry. He says that only once the water is all dry with only sizzling, it is time to add the olive oil.
The final step is to add aromatic elements such as shallots and garlic.
This approach allows the frying and cooking to occur outside of the mushrooms, keeping them intact and without going mushy in the process.
After seasoning with a pinch of salt, Fuller continues frying for another 30 seconds to one minute as a quick sauté or stir fry. Then simply season to taste with salt if needed.