How to Cook Mushrooms
Posted on August 5th, 2009 by Marck
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People have cooked and eaten mushrooms for thousands of years, on their own or as part of other dishes. The earthy flavor of mushrooms, coupled with its nutritional value, makes it perfect for people who want to enjoy healthy gourmet choices. Here are some ways to cook mushrooms.
Mushrooms in Cuisine
Mushrooms are considered by many cooks and chefs to be nature’s bounty. With varying flavors and textures to choose from, mushrooms can be served at any meal of the day as a main course or a side dish. Mushrooms are often used for appetizers or for entrées, but some chefs also experiment with mushrooms for dessert.
Wild Mushrooms
Wild mushrooms are prized for their taste and texture. Most wild mushrooms are harvested commercially; people have yet to develop the technology to grow some mushroom species in controlled environments. Some wild mushroom varieties, like truffles (Do you know that truffles is the most expensive food in the world, read Top Ten Most Expensive Foodstuffs) and Japanese matsutake mushrooms, can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars a pound. Chanterelles and porcini are very popular for use in sautées and pasta dishes.
Farmed Mushrooms
Many mushrooms available on the market are farmed, cultivated varieties. Scientists and agricultural experts have figured out ways to grow some mushrooms from the wild under controlled environments and conditions. Most cooks and consumers are familiar with white mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and button mushrooms for use in many dishes.
Medicinal Mushrooms
Many mushrooms are rich in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are good for the body. Some cultures have traditionally used mushrooms for their medicinal value. Some mushrooms like shiitake, lingzhi, and white fungus (enokitake) are prized for their healing properties, as well as their flavor.
Cooking Methods
Mushrooms are full of strong, earthy flavors that can be the focal point of a dish, or can be used to accent the flavors of other ingredients. The way you cook mushrooms depends on how you bought them:
Fresh Mushrooms
Fresh mushrooms still contain some moisture from the fungus, but have a shorter shelf life. Fresh mushrooms tend to be meatier and have a creamier texture when cooked, compared to dried mushrooms. Here are some ways to cook and serve fresh mushrooms:
- Grilling. You can drizzle a little bit of olive oil on a batch of fresh mushrooms, and add a small amount of salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and fresh herbs for flavor. Fresh mushrooms can be grilled on a charcoal grill, a gas grill, or a grill pan.
- Sautées and stir-fried dishes. Fresh mushrooms are an important ingredient in Oriental cuisine. You can add fresh mushrooms to Chinese stir-fry or other sautées to give the dish a full, earthy flavor.
- Soups and stews. Medicinal mushrooms are often mixed together in soups and stews. Nutrients and vitamins are drawn out of the mushroom, and the broth is highly valued for its nutritional value.
- Pies. Many kinds of mushrooms are used in quiches and pies. Button mushrooms are a popular topping in many kinds of pizza, while wild mushrooms like porcini and morel mushrooms are flavorful mushrooms used in many baked dishes.
Dried Mushrooms
Many types of mushrooms are dried to preserve their flavor, as well as to improve their shelf life. Dried mushrooms can be cooked in the same way as fresh mushrooms, although they should be soaked first to restore and re-introduce moisture into the ingredient. Many cooks often use the water the mushrooms are soaked in to add flavor to a dish, and is often used in place of stock.
Mushrooms are an excellent ingredient for use in just about any dish, served at any time of the day. With these tips, you can cook mushrooms in the right way for your health and gastronomical delight.
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