Never wash mushrooms, we’ve been told. They’ll release the moisture during cooking and become slimy, they say. So you dutifully brush away the dirt, maybe even buy a dedicated tool for the task, and avoid getting them wet at all costs. And yet during cooking those beloved ’shrooms go soggy anyway, and you become a lifelong mushroom sceptic. So what if I told you almost everything you’ve been taught about cooking mushrooms is plain wrong?
Firstly, it’s time to stop treating mushrooms like a vegetable. They exist in their own fungi kingdom, which means that expecting them to behave in the pan like the other two biological kingdoms – animals (meat) and plants (fruit and vegetables) – is a mistake. (And in some ways, mushrooms are a lot like humans. They can absorb vitamin D from the sun – “tanning” them for 15 minutes in the sun enhances their vitamin D levels.)
Secondly, unlike vegetables or meat, you can’t overcook a mushroom to collapse; the fibres remain steadfast. That’s why, in vegan recipes and products, you’ll find shredded shiitakes in place of pulled pork, or an oyster mushroom “steak” instead of beef. The shape holds, while the savouriness … mushrooms.
To enhance a mushroom’s naturally occurring glutamates, you need to big up the brown. The browner the mushroom variety, the more umami it contains, and searing will maximise the meatiness.
But one of the biggest blunders people make is adding fat to the pan too soon. This seals in all their natural moisture which eventually leads to that sweaty, slimy texture dreaded by mushroom-averse folk.
The solution? The wet fry.
Wet-fry mushroom fettuccine with crème fraîche and mustard – recipe
To wet fry mushrooms, before you add any fat to the pan, first crank the heat, then add a dash of water and a splash of soy or Worcestershire sauce, and boil the shiitake out of your mushrooms. This helps infuse the mushrooms with flavour, while also intensifying the umami by evaporating excess moisture from their spongey bodies. Try this with vegetables and their cell structure will either break down or toughen up; mushrooms, however, will hold their shape and absorb whatever aromatics you throw at them.
This means you can also forget about the rule of keeping mushrooms dry. Give your mushrooms a good soak or rinse before you use them, as you would salad leaves, to properly purge any grit or pine needles. I soak my mushrooms along with whatever else they’re about to get friendly with – herbs, greens, even garlic and shallots (soaking softens their skins and makes them easier to peel).
But back to the wet-fried mushrooms. Once the liquid has fully evaporated and a brown film of flavour has settled on the bottom of the pan, it’s time to put the “fry” in wet fry!
Add a splash of brandy (be careful – it may flame!) to deglaze the pan and lift off the fond (AKA the crispy bits), then foam in some butter or a slosh of oil to reincorporate all of that saucy savouriness, further caramelise the mushrooms, and help them go out in a golden brown glaze of glory.
In this recipe, I’ve chosen a stroganoffy flavour combination for the wet fry, and then let the mushrooms bob about in a tangle of fettuccine (I’ve used fresh here but you could easily use dried, and follow the packet cooking instructions). Once you get the hang of wet frying, have a play with flavours and applications: soup, sauce, omelette fillings, stir-fried noodles. And be creative with mushroom varieties too. I’ve used bog-standard buttons here, but you could easily sub in varieties that are nice, different or unusual such as fresh shiitake, shimeji, chestnut and the like. The world’s your oyster (mushroom)!
Serves 4
500g button mushrooms
2 sprigs thyme
4 cloves garlic
1 shallot
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (substitute with soy sauce for vegetarians)
1 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dijon mustard
¼ tsp paprika
200g creme fraiche
50g parmesan, finely grated
400g fresh fettuccine
Chives and parsley, finely chopped, to serve
Soak the mushrooms, thyme, garlic and shallot in water for 10 minutes to remove dirt and grit from the mushrooms and thyme, and soften the skins of the garlic and shallot to make them easier to peel. Remove the mushrooms from the water and slice thinly, keeping the stalks intact, but trimming off any mangy bits.
Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and a half cup of water. Bring to the boil, and boil vigorously for 10 to 15 minutes until the liquid fully evaporates.
While the mushrooms are boiling, peel and finely slice the garlic cloves and shallot and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
Returning to the mushrooms, when the liquid has evaporated let the mushrooms sit and sear in the pan for one minute, and toss about occasionally until they become brown. Add the brandy to deglaze the pan (be careful – it may flame).
Add the olive oil, butter, garlic and shallots. Season with salt and fry until the mushrooms become a gloriously glossy, golden brown.
Stir in the tomato paste and mustard and fry for one to two minutes until everything is a uniform shade of burnt umber.
Remove pan from the heat, then stir through the paprika, creme fraiche and two-thirds of the parmesan (reserve the remainder for serving)..
Once the large pot of water is boiling, drop in your fettuccine and boil for a minute, stirring to help the strands separate (if using dried pasta, follow the packet instructions).
Transfer the cooked pasta straight into the mushroom pan and stir until the fettuccine is well coated in the sauce, pouring in a ladleful or so of pasta water to loosen the sauce if need be. Taste for seasoning. Transfer to bowls, sprinkle with reserved parmesan, chopped chives and parsley, a final flourish of olive oil and cracked pepper, and serve immediately.
