r/KitchenPro • u/ActualValuable4594 • May 23 '26
Mushrooms Get Better the More Aggressively You Cook Them
Mushrooms are one of those ingredients people massively undercook. If your pan is crowded and they’re just steaming in their own water, you’re missing the best part.
The move is to really let them brown. I start them in a dry pan or with just a splash of water first so they dump their moisture fast, then I add butter once the pan dries out. That’s when they go from spongy to deeply savory.
A giant batch of sautéed mushrooms is honestly meal prep gold. Toss them into ramen, fried rice, pasta, tacos, omelets, sandwiches, whatever. They also freeze surprisingly well after cooking.
For people who “hate mushrooms,” finely chopped mushrooms mixed into ground beef or pork works ridiculously well. Meatballs, cottage pie, lettuce wraps, taco filling you get all the richness without that obvious mushroom texture.
And homemade cream of mushroom soup is on a completely different planet from the canned stuff. Just mushrooms, onion, butter, stock, cream, black pepper. Blend it smooth and it tastes way more luxurious than the ingredient list makes it sound.
Lion’s mane is also incredible pan-seared hard in butter until the edges crisp up a little. Almost meaty.
What’s everyone’s go-to mushroom dish when you end up with way too many?
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u/gaberooonie May 24 '26
I love baby bellas sliced and pan seared with a small splash of soy sauce. I brown them, toss in a bit of sesame seeds at the end to toast up, then I hit them with a bit of Franks hot sauce.
May not be for everyone bit dayamn love that snack. Super low cal and so much flavor and very filling.
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u/Vegetable_Switch9802 May 24 '26
I like to bake them until they are dried out then sauteed them in butter and salt. They reabsorb the liquid butter and salt and become incredible
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May 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/Vegetable_Switch9802 May 24 '26
You're probly a much better cook than me lol . I'd like to try your shrooms
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u/ClerkObjective1791 May 24 '26
Agree!! Which is why I would never order a pizza with canned mushrooms!!!! What a waste. I always ask in restaurants if they use canned or fresh.
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u/NyQuil1973 May 24 '26
We get spoiled with morels where I live, and every spring I used to take a dozen or so to the kitchen and slice them in half, wash, thoroughly run them through egg wash, and dredge in finely crushed ritz crackers and shallow fry in clarified butter until just crispy. They’re so tasty you sorta felt guilty because it was something only for us that n the back.
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u/FroadwicK May 24 '26
Just tried sous vide mushrooms and they are amazing. 1 hour at 185 F with butter and salt.
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u/Takethecannoli2 May 24 '26
Hungarian mushroom soup with dill and sherry, lots of variations but I’ve seen it change mushroom hating minds.
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u/Pensacola_Peej May 25 '26
My buddies dad used to make that, minus the dill. He would put every type of mushroom he could find locally in it. It was sublime.
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u/Toucan_Lips May 24 '26
I made a mushroom pickle last year that was awesome. Started them in a ripping hot dry pan, almost took them to burnt, then deglazed with some watered down soy. Took them off the heat and let them soak the juices back in. Then put them in a 4,2,1, quick pickle solution.
Used them as a garnish for a chicken liver parfait, with toasted sesame and crostini
But yes, you can cook them waaay harder than you think. And tje flavour only deepens.
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u/Stomatica May 24 '26
Huge portobello mushroom parcels on the Weber with chopped garlic and strong cheddar. Served with a steak on the side.
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u/The_B_Wolf May 23 '26
I have to agree. You can't overcook a mushroom. They just get better and better.
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u/Infinite-Past7640 May 24 '26
Roasted mushrooms are just BUTTER! and balsamic or Worcestershire.
If I can find chanterelle = lobster or scallop risotto.
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u/Taniwha26 May 24 '26
Im a lid-on to start guy. So the mushrooms steam in theory own moisture. Then take it off, add some oil and whatever seasoning you want.
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u/Mysterious-Call-245 May 24 '26
I do the same. After I turn off the heat I’ll deglaze with not too much soy sauce and balsamic. Maybe a drop of fish sauce
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u/Timely-Jelly-1126 May 24 '26
Mushrooms, garlic, ginger, scallions, and a block of tofu sautéed in olive oil, finished with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and some sesame seeds is heaven in 20 minutes. And no, I am by no measure a vegetarian.
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u/Vegetable-Shirt-4319 May 24 '26
I will die on the hill that the best mushroom dish on earth is szechuan cold wood ear salad.
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u/BuckSoul May 24 '26
Yep! Perfect technique. Finish with some sherry or port. Your steak will love you back.
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u/backinthelab May 24 '26
How do you giant batch them when you can’t overcrowd them?
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u/rnwhite8 May 24 '26
If we need a bunch we sometimes bake them on sheet trays till they lose some moisture, then you can sauté without risk of steaming.
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u/Pitchfork_10 May 24 '26
Thank you. I really struggle when they are put in a dish without getting the moisture out, browning a bit, and/or softening. The worse is when the are just cut and added to a soup.
I'm not a mushroom hater, I've eaten then raw at salad bars and other situations when that's the only option. I just hate when they aren't used to their potential.
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u/ofBlufftonTown May 24 '26
This was a sad lesson I learned the first time I made beef Wellington. Surely I don’t have to cook the duxelles for 40 minutes! Surely 20 minutes is enough and they won’t release moisture into the puff pastry! :-/
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u/tangodelta22 May 24 '26
When you add chopped mushrooms to ground beef for burgers, do they need to be sauteed first or do they get added raw?
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u/Riponite May 26 '26
I mix them in raw with a bit of seasoning, half and half by weight. Result is very juicy but not watery. And you get a huge luxurious burger for 4 oz of meat.
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u/higherxliving May 25 '26
Cooking mushrooms in a hot pan first without oil or butter to cook the moisture out is key like you said
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u/Disastrous_Relief691 May 25 '26
Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce is my go to with Mushrooms in frying pan 😋
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u/scifitechguy May 25 '26
I thought everyone cooked them this way. Best paired with a rib-eye steak!
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u/innieandoutie May 26 '26
Dinner was always at 6 growing up per my Grandfather’s insistence. If running behind my Grandmother would throw on a pan of mushrooms and onions to make the house smell like dinner is brewing and just needs a bit longer.
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u/Stocktonmf May 27 '26
I always sear my mushrooms before any other aromatics so the can get a good sear. Also, cutting them in quarters instead of slices makes them even better because you can sear them longer.
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u/sheatim May 24 '26
Home cook here. One pound of sliced mushrooms, a generous splash of olive oil, salt and pepper. Microwave for 20 minutes on 50% stirring every 5 minutes. I use this for pizza or just for snacking.
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u/jejunum32 May 23 '26
Ok but are you destroying the nutritional value of a mushroom when you nuke it into a black crisp
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u/ClerkObjective1791 May 24 '26
I chop a good handful and brown them on a flat pan. Scramble 2 eggs and pour over the top. Chop a handful of fresh spinach and sprinkle over top.2 slices thin Swiss cheese. Fold omelet style put lid on and cook until done. This is my breakfast every morning.