Tonight, I’m thinking about everybody’s favorite fungus…mushrooms! Button mushrooms, portobello’s, cepes, porcinis and shitakes…You’ve got to know how to respect a mushroom in a skillet…
I use mushrooms as a life raft. When I over cook a steak or dry out the chicken, the first thing I do is throw together a bunch of sliced button mushrooms, some butter, salt, garlic and pepper. After sauteing briefly, I dump everything on top of our dinner and the family is happy!
Mushrooms can be delicate, woodsy, chocolatey, rich, earthy or meaty. They are sadly underrated, although they are getting much better press now. Twenty years ago everybody’s mother thought Cambell’s Cream of Mushroom soup was pretty high-brow.
The key to mushrooms is making sure they are fresh. Any old mushroom, no matter how pricey, is going to be slimy. When you buy mushrooms look for a soft springy texture, a clear but earthy scent, and remember, mushrooms should be dry to the touch. If they are wet, they are probably pretty old.
Let’s start with the most basic mushroom preparation. Remember, mushrooms are the perfect culinary sponges because while cooking, they absorb flavors and liquid. Here we go:
Simple Sautéed Mushrooms Recipe
- Melt two teaspoons of butter in a hot skillet (olive, vegetable or sesame oils are just fine too).
- Add one teaspoon of chopped garlic. As soon as the garlic hits the pan it should sizzle and smell pretty delicious.
- Add a half cup of thinly sliced mushrooms with stems. Make sure you remove any dirt clots before you slice your mushrooms. If you so desire, you can wipe them with a damp cloth, Do not rinse them or they will absorb water which will adversely affect the way they will cook.
- Stir the mushrooms and garlic so nothing starts burning.
- Add salt, pepper and a little chopped parsley.
- Keep stirring until the mushrooms are browned.
- Now, add two ounces of any wine, brandy or sherry (you get the idea). The mushrooms will soak up the liquid instantly.
- Turn off the heat and serve immediately.
The pan should be dry once you serve them. The trick is to use your wonderful mushrooms within 3 or 4 minutes or they will relax and all the luscious liquid will leak back out.
If you have extra, raw mushrooms the best way to keep them fresh is place them in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator. They do best in cold, dry dark places.
This recipe can be used as a side dish or with almost any meat or fish. It’s perfect and so easy.