Edible mushrooms come in many shapes and sizes. There are many things you can do with mushrooms for cooking, from simple dishes using only mushrooms to using them in a variety of sauces and dishes. Mushrooms contain nutrients that include B vitamins and minerals such as selenium, copper, and potassium, making them a nutritional addition to your menu. This article discusses how to find mushrooms and make nutritious and delicious dishes with mushrooms.
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Method 1 of 5: Making a Basic Dish with Mushrooms
Step 1. Prepare the mushrooms for cooking
You need mushrooms that are clean and dry when cooked.
- Don't wash the mushrooms. Mushrooms should not be soaked.
- The mushrooms will absorb water when soaked and will not turn brown when cooked. This will also reduce the delicate taste.
- Wipe off any mold with a damp cloth or kitchen paper and do this if necessary to remove dust and dirt.
- You can also use a special mushroom brush.
Step 2. Cook the mushrooms as they are
Mushrooms have a unique taste that can be achieved with simple additions such as butter or olive oil. Mushrooms contain a lot of water, so they will shrink drastically during cooking. Also be careful because mushrooms absorb fat easily, so always use quality butter or cooking oil.
- Roast the mushrooms to bring out their natural sweetness. Coat with oil and bake in the oven at 204 degrees Celsius until brown.
- Coat the mushrooms in breadcrumbs as you would chicken and fry them in hot oil. Make sure you use high quality oil that is suitable for frying.
- Saute sliced mushrooms in soy sauce and oil for a simple dish.
- Roast mushrooms in the summer. Arrange the mushrooms directly on the baking sheet and cook until brown. Experiment with marinades for added flavor.
- Fry in the pan. This is one of the most common ways. Start with plenty of hot oil or butter and sauté until lightly browned.
Step 3. Cook the mushrooms with the eggs
Eggs and mushrooms go well together in a very simple and easy dish.
- You can give scrambled eggs extra flavor by adding mushrooms and garlic.
- Mushrooms make an excellent addition to any kind of omelet.
- Add mushrooms to your frittata (Italian omelette) and quiche (a pastry with a pastry crust filled with cheese, meat and vegetables) for a simple taste.
Step 4. Stuff the mushrooms for a quick appetizer
This food is widely served in many restaurants and parties.
- First, clean the undercoat from the mushroom head. This section is not required in stuffed mushrooms as you will need space to insert the filling.
- You can make a quick and easy mushroom filling from breadcrumbs, eggs, sautéed onions, spices, and cheese.
- Dip the stuffing into the mushrooms until there are small mounds on top of the mushroom heads.
- Bake the stuffed mushrooms in the oven at 204 degrees Celsius until the mushrooms are brown and the filling is golden.
- Experiment with different types of content. This can be a creative and fun activity!
Step 5. Add mushrooms to a variety of regular dishes
When added to an existing recipe, mushrooms can add strength and richness.
- Make pasta sauce with mushrooms. Mushrooms make an excellent addition to pasta sauces. You can even add mushrooms to alfredo sauce (a sauce consisting of butter, cream, parmesan cheese, and pepper).
- Mushrooms make a delicious filling for ravioli (square-shaped pasta) and tarts (pastry crusts with a sweet or salty filling).
- You can add mushrooms as a filling for sandwiches, paninis (toast sandwiches), tortillas, and other main lunch dishes for significant flavor and size. You can even make a portobello mushroom sandwich.
- Sprinkle the mushrooms on top of the pizza as a topping.
- Add mushrooms to meat dishes for extra flavor. Mushrooms especially go well with beef or chicken. Mushrooms are a common topping for steaks and grilled dishes.
Method 2 of 5: Making the Basic Mushroom Sauce
Step 1. Gather the ingredients
It becomes easier to make a quick sauce if you have everything ready. You will need the following materials:
- Butter
- 190 grams of sliced mushrooms
- 1 clove of red onion, cut into small pieces
- 187 ml beef stock
- Fresh leaf spice
Step 2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter
Do this in a skillet large enough so that the mushrooms can be arranged in a single layer.
- Don't do it on high heat because the butter will start to brown.
- Watch for melted butter. Make sure the melt coats the bottom of the pan.
- If the butter doesn't foam, it's hot enough to add the other ingredients.
Step 3. Add 190 grams of sliced mushrooms and chopped shallots to the pan
Make sure the mushrooms are not too full in the pan.
- Saute mushrooms until golden and soft.
- Be careful not to let the onions burn. The taste of the onion is very subtle.
- Reduce the heat to medium/high.
- Add 187 ml of beef stock and simmer for 5 minutes. This will make the sauce thick.
- Bring to a boil over medium-low heat.
- Stir the sauce occasionally so that the bits of mushrooms and onions don't stick to the pan.
- Be careful not to boil this dish for too long.
Step 4. Remove the sauce from the pan
Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and fresh herbs of your choice.
- You can add thyme or tarragon as a delicious accompaniment to the mushrooms. Chives or basil are also good choices.
- Stir thoroughly so that the butter and herbs mix well in the sauce.
- Pour the sauce over the dish with a spoon while it is still hot. This sauce is perfect for chicken, meat, or even pasta dishes.
Method 3 of 5: Making Basic Mushroom Soup
Step 1. Gather all the ingredients
You need to provide everything so you can make soup quickly. You will need the following materials:
- 35 grams of onions, chopped
- Butter
- 300 grams of mushrooms, cut into small pieces
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 2 cans of chicken stock
- Salt and pepper
Step 2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan
This pot should be large enough to hold 300 grams of mushrooms and stock.
- Do not heat the butter over high heat as it will brown quickly.
- Try medium/high heat, making sure the butter coats the bottom of the pan when it melts.
- If the butter stops foaming, it's hot enough to add the other ingredients.
Step 3. Add the onions
Onions turn brown in butter.
- Stir the onions frequently so they cook evenly.
- Saute until the color becomes transparent and slightly brown.
- Reduce the stove to medium heat.
Step 4. Add the chopped mushrooms to the sauteed onions
The mushrooms will be cooked in a few minutes.
- Cook the mushrooms until golden and soft.
- Don't cook the mushrooms too long as they will have a rubbery texture.
- If you want, you can add a little garlic at this point.
- When the mushrooms are cooked through, you will next finish the soup.
Step 5. Mix flour and chicken stock
Add this mixture to the mushroom stir-fry.
- Bring all the ingredients to a boil, stirring occasionally so that the mushrooms don't stick to the pan.
- Cook for two minutes. During this time, the mixture will thicken.
- If the soup doesn't thicken after two minutes, try cooking for a few more minutes.
Step 6. Add the light cream and a pinch of salt and pepper
This is the final stage of cooking.
- Reduce the stove flame to low heat.
- Simmer the soup slowly for 15 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve warm.
Method 4 of 5: Using Dried Mushrooms
Step 1. Buy dried mushrooms
You can find them at most grocery stores. Usually the price is more expensive, but the price is worth it. The advantage of using dried mushrooms is that you only need a small amount to give a mushroom dish a lot of flavor.
- Dried mushrooms are usually of two types: Asian mushrooms (such as shiitake mushrooms and ear mushrooms) and European-American mushrooms (morel mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, trumpet mushrooms, and so on).
- Dried mushrooms will last up to a year if stored in an airtight, dry container.
- Dried mushrooms are often used with less expensive fresh mushrooms to add flavor.
Step 2. Moisten the mushrooms
You need to do this to use this mushroom.
- There are advantages this way. Mushrooms will become moist again quickly by soaking in water and the marinade has a rich flavor and can be used in a variety of recipes.
- Before starting anything in a recipe that calls for using dried mushrooms, start by moisturizing them.
- Use water at room temperature. Soak the mushrooms in plenty of water.
- Thinly sliced mushrooms only need about hour to soak.
- Mushrooms with whole heads or thickly sliced mushrooms require 8 hours or more of soaking time.
- After soaking, rinse the mushrooms to remove any dirt. One of the downsides of using dried mushrooms is that many types of mushrooms have dirt attached to them. Rinsing the mushrooms after soaking will help remove these impurities.
Step 3. Save the soaking liquid
This liquid has a rich flavor and makes a delicious addition to any recipe that calls for broth.
- If you don't want to use the liquid right away, put it in a container and store it in the refrigerator. This liquid can be stored for several days.
- You can also freeze it for a longer time if you want.
- The remaining liquid has a lot of dirt coming from the fungus.
- You need to filter it before use so that dirt does not get into the dish.
Method 5 of 5: Looking for Mushrooms
Step 1. Identify the mushroom species
You have to understand exactly what mushrooms are safe to eat, what they look like, and where they grow.
- Some of the popular types of wild mushrooms are the morel mushroom, oyster mushroom and lion's mane mushroom.
- Be careful. Some species of poisonous mushrooms can look very much like or like some of the popular types of edible mushrooms.
- For example, the green spored lepiota mushroom is very dangerous, but is similar to the white button mushrooms you can find at the grocery store.
- Eat mushrooms if you are 100 percent sure you recognize them.
- Even after identifying the safety of the mushrooms, taste them a little to make sure you don't have a bad reaction.
- Use several plant manuals to identify the fungus. If you have any doubts about a mushroom, check with an expert before cooking it.
- When in doubt, throw the mushrooms away.
Step 2. Look for mold in woody areas
This activity is not for casual search. Poisonous mushrooms are very dangerous and can cause severe and deadly disease.
- Some mushrooms grow on fallen trees or roots, and some grow on the ground.
- It's a good idea to bring along a guide note on mushrooms to help you identify areas where the fungus will grow and the species.
- Mushrooms have different seasons. Mushroom season is between late spring and early fall in most areas of North America.
- The best time to look for mushrooms is after the rainy season. Mushrooms need a lot of moisture to grow.
- If you're hunting mushrooms somewhere new, ask the locals for advice. Deadly similarities can emerge, namely mushrooms that are safe in one place may be poisonous in another even though they look the same.
Step 3. Collect some mushrooms
Make sure you store each type of mushroom separately. If you pick poisonous mushrooms by mistake, they can contaminate other mushrooms.
- Take a basket with a flat bottom. You can also use a cloth bag with a flat bottom and reinforced with a piece of cardboard.
- Don't use shopping bags. These pockets allow moisture to build up and can degrade the taste and quality of the mushrooms.
- Plastic shopping bags also cannot provide sufficient protection. If you carry mushrooms in a plastic bag, they may bruise or break if the bag hits something.
- Use a pocket knife to cut the mushrooms from the bottom.
Step 4. Check the freshness
Do not let the mushrooms bruising or old.
- Mushrooms are fresh if the heads are clean, bright, and not stained or bruised.
- The underside of the mushroom head is pale pink or not too dark.
- If you have any doubts about the freshness or purity of the mushrooms, don't pick them.
Step 5. Buy mushrooms at the grocery store
If you don't want the hassle, don't want to look for mushrooms, or don't have the knowledge needed to find mushrooms, then mushrooms can be purchased at the grocery store for relatively low prices.
- Most grocery chains stock at least white button mushrooms and portobello mushrooms.
- Specialty shops stock more expensive rare mushrooms such as morel, chanterelle, truffle, and maitake.
- Today many shops sell rare or imported mushrooms in dried form. These mushrooms are often less expensive than fresh mushrooms and can be moistened for cooking.
Tips
- Do not soak the mushrooms as they can absorb a lot of water.
- Avoid slimy or stained mold.
- Store the mushrooms in a paper bag and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
- Don't cook the mushrooms too long, as they will have a rubbery texture.
- Mushrooms need to breathe so they shouldn't be stored in plastic bags. The plastic will also form condensation which will be absorbed into the mold.
Warning
- Do not eat mushrooms found in the forest unless you are sure about the type of mushroom. This is very dangerous because there is a possibility that the mushrooms you pick are poisonous ones!
- Consult a mushroom expert if you want to get a 100 percent identity for a wild mushroom.
- Beware of the rules in the forest against picking mushrooms as you can be fined.
