I love asking people what their no-fly-zone food is. Like, what’s the thing you literally cannot stand? If the queen served it to you, you’d have to politely decline. Strangely for me, it’s bananas. If I ever ate a whole one, I was so little I don’t remember. Just the smell of one makes me uncomfortable. It’s still unclear where the trauma originated.
The most common response I get from other people though? Mushrooms. I love them, but somebody very close to me cannot stand them. And I kinda get it. Because so often, they’re not cooked quite right, and nobody wants to be chompin’ on a geoduck.
So whether you need to put your toes back in the water, or you already love mushrooms, this hot two-sentence tip will tell you everything you need to know to get ‘em right.
P.S. The beauties pictured are oyster mushrooms—one of the most popular in the world, with a delicate and subtle flavor, and hearty enough to pose as a lovely meat or seafood substitute.
To clean the mushrooms, rub away any dirt from the cap and under gills with a damp paper towel, then cut off the bottom half stem of the oyster mushroom. Leave them whole or slice in strips (mushrooms reduce by almost half when cooked!) We love to whisk together ¼ cup olive oil with 3 TBS of balsamic vinegar to create a thick marinade. Toss mushrooms in marinade, then cook on medium heat (if the heat is too hot, the balsamic becomes too potent). Add to tacos, pastas, rice dishes, pizzas, or use as a veggie side dish. Alternatively, sauté them with a bit of butter, shallots, and fresh thyme for an equally delightful flavor.
Hot two-sentence mushroom cooking tip: Use a large pan so the mushrooms have plenty of room to sear and brown. Mushrooms release a ton of water, so if you crowd the pan, you’ll end up with steamed, gooey, clam-like, nobody-likes-‘em-like-this mushrooms.