Did you know that the average monthly rent in London is around $1,700 while a pound of white truffles can be sold for up to $3,400? This means that if you are a tenant in London and by accident find a bag of white truffles, you will be able to cover your rent for the next two months!
This definitely makes mushrooms the most pricey ingredient in the world. In this article we will tell you all about mushrooms and how to cook them. From useful tips and tricks to some delicious recipes, we will hide nothing from you!
Many people have questions on how to cook mushrooms, like how to know if they are fresh, should they be washed, can they be stored in the fridge – keep reading and you will find out! We present you 3 ways to cook mushrooms and how to do it like a pro.
But first, here are some fresh mushrooms that you can buy online:
Tips & Tricks
If you want to become a mushroom expert, the first step is to recognize the fresh mushrooms from the old ones. The key is that as soon as they are picked up, the moisture starts coming out of them, so step number two will be to always go to your local vegetable market instead of any supermarket. The mushrooms in the supermarket are usually pre-packed and wrapped in plastic, so there is no guarantee that all of them are fresh.
Mushrooms do not really smell that nice in general, they have a metallic scent and you must use your eyes in order to distinguish the good ones from the bad ones, this is why making connections at your local veggie market is the best choice. Find out who has the freshest mushrooms out there and look for mushrooms that are visibly not damaged and whose fins are looking tender and fresh.
After buying them, most people would like to wash them before cooking. That would be a mistake, mushrooms love water and they will absorb it like a sponge! When you heat them up in the pan, all of the water will be released and you will end up boiling them, instead of pan-frying which can ruin the whole idea of your meal. Instead of washing them, you can grab a paper towel and damp it with cold water. Gently brush them with the paper towel, like this, you can still fulfil the need to wash everything before it gets cooked, meanwhile you will not be ruining the qualities of the mushrooms.
Lastly, if you have not decided what to do with them yet and you have to store them in the fridge, make sure to do so for no more than 3-4 days. After that, they will become mushy and slimy.
The recipes
Our three recipes are fun and will definitely get you to think: “Wait! I should have thought of that earlier!”. Well, let us get started them, shall we?
1. Mushrooms With Spelt Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 cup of spelt
- 300 g of spinach
- 50 g of fresh penny bun mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 tbsp of butter
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of pepper
- 1 and ½ cups of vegetable broth
- 50 ml of white wine
- 3 tbsp of parmesan
Instructions
Step 1 – Prepare all ingredients
Wash the spelt and let it sit in water for 30 minutes. Clean the mushrooms, if needed, with some damp paper towels and cut them. Wash and cut the spinach into big pieces. Mince the garlic and dice the onion.
Step 2 – Cooking the meal
In a wok or pot melt the butter and oil. Add the minced garlic and onion and cook until the onion gets translucent. Now that the onion is softer, you can drain the spelt and add it to the pot, alongside with the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, pour 1 cup of vegetable broth and the wine. Let it simmer until all the liquid evaporated, then add ½ cup from the broth again.
Check if the spelt has cooked, if it has, you can get the spinach and combine it with everything else in the pot. Stir for 1 minute and remove it from the heat. The dish will go great with some grated parmesan on top.
2. Creamy Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 600 g mix of regular and oyster mushrooms
- 30 g of butter
- 1 onion
- 300 ml of milk
- 500 ml of water or vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp of paprika
- 1tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of black pepper
- dill
Instructions
Step 1 – Prepare the needed ingredients
Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth or paper towels then cut them and dice the onion.
Step 2 – Cook the meal
In a pot melt the butter and add the onion, stir and when it softens add some salt and the mix of mushrooms. Stir again for 2-3 more minutes then in goes the paprika and the black pepper.
Now is the time to pour in the milk and water or vegetable stock. Bring it to a boil and leave it on high for 15-20 minutes. When the soup thickens it will be ready to get it off the heat. You can sprinkle some finely chopped dill on top for freshness!
3. Mix Of Mushrooms With thyme
Ingredients
- 600 g mix of chanterelle mushrooms, field and oyster mushrooms
- 50 g of butter
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp of black pepper
- 1 tsp of salt
- thyme
Instructions
Clean the mushrooms with damp paper towels. Cut the garlic, no need to mince it for this recipe. Spread all mushrooms and the garlic on a baking tray or in a big casserole. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Add the butter and stir well to mix everything.
Bake for 25 minutes at 356˚F or 180˚C.
Tip: If you will be using a ceramic casserole, make sure that the oven is not pre-heated, otherwise it might get damaged if it is not heat-safe.
We hope you loved our mushroom recipes! Stay tuned for more! And don’t forget that you can get some fresh mushrooms on Amazon below:
