A close up of a pile of mushrooms on a table

Sauteéd Mushrooms

I'm a huge fan of mushrooms... and they come in all shapes , colors,sizes and flavors.

Most mushrooms can be purchased fresh, dried, frozen and some come in cans.

Mushrooms also come mixed so you get 3 or 4 types in one package.


Mushrooms add great flavor t0 soups and stews, risotto and pasta dishes as well as stir fried meals.


Dry cooking methods such as roasting, sautéing or grilling work especially well with mushrooms. 


Some types of mushrooms are delicious raw in salads or simply added to hot broths for great added flavor.


The various sizes and textures generally dictate the cooking time-larger or denser mushrooms like portobello or shiitake need a little longer to cook while delicate, small types like enoki or beach mushrooms cook very quickly.


I generally like to caramelize mushrooms and add to vegetable medleys, sauces, stuffings etc...


A close up of a pile of black mushrooms
A close up of a pile of mushrooms on a table
adding mushrooms to hot oil

Prep Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 10 min

Yield: 4 portions


Ingredients      

2  lbs.       Mushrooms, wiped of soil & stem removed                                      

4  oz.        Olive oil                                     

1/2 tsp     Kosher Salt                                       

t.t.             Black pepper                                   

1 Tbsp     Garlic, minced                         

3 Tbsp     Shallots, minced   

6  oz.        Fresh herbs (Italian parsley, tarragon, sage, etc)                             

                           


How to Sauté Mushrooms

A styrofoam tray filled with mushrooms and a brush.
A bowl of mushrooms is sitting on a table.

Step 1

Carefully wipe the mushrooms of hay, soil etc...  do not rinse in water as the mushrooms will absorb the water and be difficult to cook. Using a paring knife, slice the woody stem from the mushroom. You may choose to dry mushroom stems and grind for stuffings or simply make a mushroom stock with the stems.


Cut the mushroom into quarters or slices, depending what application you are preparing.

Mushrooms are being cooked in a pan with oil
Mushrooms are being cooked in a pan on a stove.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a sautée pan, when hot add the mushrooms. Do not move the mushrooms or water will come out-let the mushrooms get a nice, golden brown sear and then invert the mushrooms. This will take about 4 minutes, season with salt and pepper.

A white plate topped with mushrooms and salt and pepper

Step 3

Add the shallots, garlic and heat for another minute or so, add the herbs and taste-adjust seasoning.


Note: if you are using a variety of mushrooms, each has a different cooking time so it may make sense to cook each type of mushroom separately or cut the denser mushrooms (like shittaki) thinner so it cooks in the same time as a more delicate mushroom (like oyster or beech).

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