Cookbook:Mushroom

Mushroom
Mushroom
Category	Vegetables

In the culinary sense, mushrooms are the fleshy bodies of various fungi,^[1]^[2] of which a huge variety exist.^[3]

Characteristics

Though they come in a variety of sizes and shapes, mushrooms are alike in that they (unlike plants) are made largely of a material called chitin.^[4]^[5] Many take the form of a stalk with an umbrella-like cap on top,^[1] while others have short or nonexistent stalks.^[2] They may have gills, pores, or a thin veil. Mostly water,^[5]^[6] mushroom texture tends to range from spongy to chewy or meaty. The chitin content lends a fairly stable texture even when heated.^[4] The flavor is generally deeply savory and earthy from free amino acids and GMP.^[3]^[5]

Today, mushrooms may be either cultivated or harvested from the wild.^[1]^[7] Not all mushroom varieties are cultivable, and these wild varieties tend to be earthier.^[3]^[8] Many varieties can be dried, which further intensifies the flavor.^[5]

Unfortunately, many mushrooms are toxic, and some are even fatal if ingested.^[2]^[5]^[7]^[8] Because it can be difficult to tell toxic varieties from edible varieties, and there are many look-alikes, it is critical to be confident in a wild mushroom's identity without any hint of doubt before eating it.^[8]

Common mushroom
Shiitake
Enokitake
Chanterelles
King oyster

Seasonality

Cultivated mushrooms are generally available all year.^[7] Fresh wild mushrooms, however, tend to be very seasonal and not available outside of designated seasons.^[7]

Selection and storage

When purchasing wild mushrooms, you should be very confident in the expertise and trustworthiness of your vendor.^[3]^[8] When purchasing any mushrooms, it is ideal to source them where sold loose so you can examine them and pick the best specimens.^[9] Look for mushrooms without blemishes such as brown splotches and without any perceptible moistness.^[1]^[9] Make sure they are not insect-infested.^[7] Though the specific shelf lives of mushrooms will vary according to species,^[9] they are generally considered fairly perishable.^[2]^[5] Conditions of excess humidity will result in premature spoilage,^[10] so avoiding plastic and the refrigerator crisper drawer can extend shelf life.^[1]^[9] The general recommendation is to store them in paper bags in the fridge without allowing them to freeze.^[9] Mushrooms keep fairly well when dried and stored away from moisture.^[2]

Preparation

Some debate exists over whether or not mushrooms should be washed with water, with some saying this will cause the mushrooms to absorb water and become soggy, while others argue that it does not make a significant difference (especially since mushrooms are already mostly water).^[3]^[5]^[11] If you prefer not to submerge them in water, you can use a damp cloth or a brush to remove dirt.^[1]^[2]^[3] If you do wet them, do so only right before use,^[5] and dry them before proceeding.^[3] Any damaged parts should be cut away and discarded,^[7] and the stems may be removed if they are particularly tough.^[3]

Use

Mushrooms are used widely across the world,^[2] where they are treated much like vegetables and contribute both texture and umami flavor.^[8]^[9] They can be variously cooked,^[5] though they particularly benefit from dry heat cooking techniques that allow them to brown and develop flavor.^[12] Most mushrooms can survive prolonged cooking with minimal negative textural changes, a property conferred by their chitinous makeup.^[5] They will, however, shrink significantly with cooking.^[5]

Techniques

Browning

Because mushrooms are mostly water, it can be hard to cook them such that they brown—when sautéing, mushrooms tend to continuously release water as they cook, which inhibits their browning.^[6] There are two schools of thought on how to achieve browning despite this. The first has the cook start the pan extremely hot so that the mushrooms brown before they start to release water and steam.^[12] The second school of thought, however, has the cook cover and steam the mushrooms first to quickly force the majority of the liquid out at once in the first 10 minutes.^[6] After this happens, the cook can uncover the pan, boil off all the liquid, and get on with the browning.^[6]