topic Re: Mushroom Advice Please in Recipes

Mushroom Advice Please

PickyPicky3 — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 01:35:35 GMT

Whenever I eat mushrooms in a restaurant or someone's home, I love them. When I cook them myself, yuck! I fail at every kind of mushroom.

Not looking for complete recipes here. Right now my cooking is more "whatever I have in the refrigerator and cabinets." What spices bring out the best in mushrooms? Does cooking temperature make a difference in taste? Oil or butter? What works and what doesn't?

I don't have this problem with other vegetables.

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

ECBG — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 02:01:32 GMT

I just use a little salt and pepper. I usually sautee mushrooms with wine.

Maybe if you look at All Recipes and Recipes dot com, you will find a common thread.

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

Lucky Charm — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 02:14:39 GMT

The key is, you don't want to *boil* them.

I lightly saute in a bit of olive oil. They are so flavorful with just salt and pepper.

But if you also have onions and garlic in the mix, absolute heaven!

Someone mentioned beef stroganoff on a thread. I don't eat beef so I'm making mushroom stroganoff for dinner tomorrow night.

ETA: My preference is shiitake mushrooms and secondly portabellas. I'm not crazy about white button mushrooms unless I have others in the mix.

And I have to admit, I scrub my mushrooms really good even though it's not supposed to be good to do. I just can't eat anything that hasn't been scrubbed!

Delicious!

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

QVCkitty1 — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 02:21:52 GMT

Fresh thyme goes well with mushrooms.

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

Sooner — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 02:31:53 GMT

Saute them in butter until they are almost carmalized and salt liberally!

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

PickyPicky3 — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 02:32:32 GMT

@Lucky Charm OK -- So if I'm making spaghetti sauce starting with crushed tomatoes which will simmer for a while, should I cook the mushrooms first and add them at the end, or put raw mushrooms in from the start?

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

Tinkrbl44 — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 02:34:52 GMT

If you're going to saute them to put on a steak, for instance, I think the best way is to use a little butter and when they are half done, sprinkle some Lawry's seasoned salt on them and mix well. That seems to enhance the flavor of the mushrooms without a strong salty taste added.

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

Lucky Charm — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 02:40:33 GMT

Definately cook your mushrooms first. If you cook them along with the crushed tomatoes, it's like *boiling* them... then they are kinda tasteless.

When I make my own (version of) primavera or tomato sauce, I saute the onions, then garlic, then mushrooms. I use either fresh roma tomatoes or grape tomatoes, so I do add them in after the onions, garlic and mushrooms are cooked first.

But if your using canned crushed tomatoes, I would cook them seasoned as you normally do and then add the mushrooms when it's doing it's last simmer.

Sounds yummy!

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

Mary Bailey — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 02:57:47 GMT

For steak I saute slivered onions in butter with garlic powder I add mushrooms once the onions start cooking. If the mushrooms are large I slice them, if they are small I leave them whole

Most recipes I add the mushrooms during the last 10-15 minutes, again if small I use them whole, if large I slice them.

I love mushrooms

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

aroc3435 — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 03:04:05 GMT

@PickyPicky3 I never wash mushrooms since they absorb liquids like a sponge. I brush them clean with a vegetable brush a clean dish towel, or some paper toweling.

I melt some butter over medium heat in a large stainless steel skilllet and add the mushrooms stirring and flipping them until they start to brown. You will see them absorbing the butter until the pan is almost dry.

I add more butter and a couple of swirls of good olive oil and turn the heat to low and continue stirring until the rest of the butter and olive oil mixture is absorbed. I set them aside--uncovered--and add them to whatever dish I am making when. it is ready to incorporate them, such as homemade tomato sauce.

aroc3435

Washington, DC

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

QP Doll — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 03:04:09 GMT

All I do is saute them in butter. .....Yummy!

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

PickyPicky3 — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 03:16:32 GMT

Such helpful responses. Thank you so much.

And thank you to all the pizza places where, if you order a slice with mushrooms, they cook the mushrooms on the grill first before putting them on the slice. Makes such a difference.

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

rms1954 — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 03:39:14 GMT

I cook them at a higher heat.

If you wash them, they'll get waterlogged.

When you cook them in a pan, the water will seep out. If you keep the heat low, the mushrooms will just simmer in their liquid. Medium high or high heat will get rid of all that liquid, and will give the mushrooms a nice brown color.

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

GenXmuse — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 04:48:47 GMT

I thought I was the only one with this issue!

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

HLP — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 14:34:53 GMT

@GenXmuse wrote:
I thought I was the only one with this issue!

Me too. Thanks everyone for all the good tips

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

JeanLouiseFinch — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 14:47:33 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
Saute them in butter until they are almost carmalized and salt liberally!

This!

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

Sooner — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 14:57:20 GMT

I rinse mushrooms quickly under running water and dry off with a paper towel and I don't think they get water logged.

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

PickyPicky3 — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 15:40:40 GMT

I remember taking a mushroom farm tour in Kennett Square, PA over 50 years ago and being bored to death. All that dirt and darkness! Now their Mushroom Festival is huge, but I've never gone.

Maybe in 2021......

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

CelticCrafter — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 15:37:57 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
I rinse mushrooms quickly under running water and dry off with a paper towel and I don't think they get water logged.

Same here. Alton Brown says the amount of water absorbed is negligible.

Re: Mushroom Advice Please

ECBG — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 19:48:06 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
I rinse mushrooms quickly under running water and dry off with a paper towel and I don't think they get water logged.

@Sooner

I rub them gently under running water. I don't get any release of water either.

Only dried beans should be soaked, otherwise, water soluable vitamins are leached out.