The wet method of cooking mushrooms

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My old video about why we cook food in oil: • Why we cook food in oil

[@GeoffShouldWin]

There isn't mushroom for debate

[@TheSteam02]

🗿

[@hugitkissitloveit8640]

🤝🏼

[@johnscape2297]

You're a fungi

[@Aaaaaaaaaaaaa558]

This should be pinned

[@cacamilis8477]

You seem like a fungi!

[@escanor9920]

As an experienced home cook and being a french dude, when I'm cooking mushrooms I'm starting with the mushrooms by themselves in the pan on medium heat, no need to add anything because they contain the water already. Only after I got rid of a decent amount of their water contained inside, I'm adding a little bit of butter WITH the oil ! The oil has a higher smoke point than butter and is going to prevent the butter form burning. The butter is interesting here because it's gonna help get a nice color and add a nutty flavor (what we call in french beurre noisette). Then for example, after mushrooms have shrinked decently, I'm gonna add some fresh diced garlic and cilantro or parsley (according to your tastes) 3 min before the end (be careful with garlic because it doesn't like high temperature and will become black and bitter if not used properly). The most common mistake is that people are not patient and wanna do everything fast. But good cooking takes time and patience and often the best results are achieved with low temperature and patience (you get also to keep all the good vitamins). Of course sometime you need medium to high temperatures to obtain the "Maillard reaction" (crust and caramelization), but it has to be controlled and monitored carefully. keep in mind also that Mushrooms are acting like little "sponges". That's precisely why they go perfectly with recipes like beef stews etc, (what we call in french : "plats en sauce" literally "dishes with/in sauce")

[@alexandragatto]

I think the water trick fails when it's done as you described, using water as a 1-to-1 replacement for oil - you need far less, JUST enough to keep the mushrooms from sticking and to coax them into giving up their own moisture. Using a very sparing amount eliminates the issue of having to wait for all of that surplus water to evaporate and you can move on to the oil very quickly. Drier is better!

[@robLV]

That's what I do-- and if I need a tiny splash as I go, I add it. But I don't cover the bottom of the pan with water. Usually I just throw them in the oven with a tiny bit of oil and they brown, condense, and come out awesome

[@wojak168]

Why I season my soil not my mushroom

[@digbyfox]

I filmed in a restaurant in the middle of Burgundy that specialises in mushrooms - Auberge de L'Artre. The chef there, Francis, knew more about cooking mushrooms than, well, most... Here's his technique: put your chopped mushrooms into a dry pan, quickly cook off the moisture moving them constantly (like a wok chef), then add tons of butter, a dash of salt, cook without burning the butter. Boom. Crazy delicious.

[@digbyfox]

You can see for yourself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnPLhayPo96WrcU

[@loicdomagala8779]

In France, the way we cook mushrooms is always to first "les faire tomber" which litteraly means to knock them down. And that is exactly how you said, to get the moisture out in a dry pan, and only then can you add fat to fry them and once cooked you can season them and add, depending on your preference, shallot, garlic, lemon, mustard, vinegar, wine, chili, dried herbs, etc ... But fresh herbs always only at the very very end.

[@Alexander_Cid]

interesting, im not even french and ive been doing almost the same but because of lazyness. I salt them before i put them in the pan to start the process, "Dry" them with little oil, then when they have reduced as i want a bit of butter and garlic and done🤔

[@RedRisotto]

This is the best way to do it because you can actually control the texture of the mushrooms for different kinds of dishes. The longer the mushroom is in the dry pan - the more water is drawn out before adding the butter. IMO. Starting in water gives it the texture of poorly reconstituted, and poorly cooked mushrooms. I don't see the point of starting in water other than it takes less effort if you have other things to do!?

[@davidgatherer2073]

Well I wouldn't add a ton of butter but yeah basically how I've always cooked them. Adding water seems a little strange.

[@WhispCommanderComics]

I actually just wash the mushrooms off and throw ALL of the mushrooms in the pan dry because of how much water is in the mushrooms. I’ve noticed that most of the common ones that you get in the little cartons in the grocery stores will typically just spill out of all their water and will use that to stop sticking and burning.

[@noahpoobbailey]

Do you ever add oil for browning?

[@REDDAWNproject]

@@noahpoobbailey I do this but I use butter or Ghee.

[@kingkarlito]

why highlight using ALL of the mushrooms?

[@birdiekay686]

Yeah, I do this, too. I think Adam was cooking them too fast when he said this doesn't work. I think it can, I just make sure to keep the heat low at first, then, when they start to release the water, turn it up and evaporate that water out. I also think I'm not usually bothered by the texture because I usually have to hid them in a thick sauce and with many other ingredients since mushrooms don't go over too well in my house :)

[@vukica33]

Same, it even browns nicely. Though I have to occasionaly drain water to get browning. No oil, no water, no nothing.

[@Bareego]

Well, I use the anti water trick. I slice all the mushrooms and give those slices some time to dry (from a few hours to a day in the fridge). It makes the spongy things inside the mushroom more kind of brittle and they seem to absorb less water, also they have less water in them to start with. Remember your slice of bread, it's like you let it dry out a bit, as if it went a little bit stale. You get more flavorsome roasted mushrooms that way and you don't have to cook them as long. It's similar to frying a steak, you want to pat down the steak to make it dry, it'll have a much nicer crust then.Use oil, but use somewhat dried mushroom slices. Faster, more tastier, and less oil absorbed. This also works with onions, slice them thinly and dry them a bit. You can thank me later.

[@woutdezeeuw1604]

I've put them in the pizza oven, you even get a bit of color on them. But letting them dry on their own is more environmentally friendly!

[@davehall1493]

This guy is just dunking on everyone... here just slice it ahead of time ... done! hahaha

[@followp]

dry aged mushies basically

[@lastonegal6533]

I saw a chef who had a white plastic thingy, and he was growing mushrooms. The thing is called a mushroom log. Does anyone know where I can buy it. And where can I buy the pods or the seeds? And what are like the best 3 mushrooms. And is there a better type of mushroom that goes with chicken and another one to go with like lamb. Any info would be wonderful! ❤️ LaStoneGal ❤️

[@The_Judge300]

This is exactly how I have done it for decades now and I fry them in a bit of oil and add some butter at the end. There are a few wild mushrooms I salt after slicing and let them sit on my bench for about 1 hour before I cook them.

[@Procrasti...]

Holy macaroni - 10 minutes and not one loose sentence. 100% informative. You have a new subscriber

[@sp10sn]

What are you talking about? There's an entire pitch for cereal in the middle.

[@user-of9il6cd2i]

No idea about mushrooms but eggplants work in a similar fashion: when you first add oil to sauteé eggplant it gets absorbed almost immediately but as the eggplants cook it "returns" the oil back to the pan. Took me a couple of tries and a very angry Brazilian mom to tell me why my eggplants were always so oily lol.

[@PilzQ]

Really liked the brazilian mom comment hahaha 😂

[@TheRubberMatch]

Wow my eggplant is always too oily I need to try this. Thank you!

[@bar_library]

I’m not Brazilian, but somehow I felt your comment deeply.

[@EdvartValens]

Maybe dip the mushrooms in water and salt for a bit before cooking? I have seen this preparation in eggplants due to too much water in the plant

[@kristianl7117]

​​@@EdvartValens Salt on eggplants are to get rid of the bitterness i believe. Edit: The bitterness is caused by the moisture

[@adamninezero]

I'm not classicaly trained, so take my advice with a huge pinch of salt(!), but I think I found a pretty solid way of cooking mushrooms back when I cooked an obscene amount of "full english" breakfasts in a busy British pub. I found cooking evenly sliced mushrooms in a third of their volume of water with a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar would produce this gorgeous and umami-filled mushroom "broth", which would then turn into a sort of concentraited mushroom syrup once cooked further, then once they were cooked down to that stage and the syrup was thick and just barely clinging to the mushrooms then I'd then turn the heat up to high and saute them in a little butter very quickly to colour them to a deep mohogany colour. They were a little "rubbery" in texture like how you experienced Adam, but for me, the flavour was more than worth that sacrifice.

[@kindlin]

Oh, now I understand, that post is a random bot. It didn't make any sense the first time I read it, but now there is no other 'user' to point to.

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

Now that sounds good i hate when you get a full english and the mushrooms are just flavourless.

[@jujutrini8412]

Thanks for the tip.👍

[@nukepcr]

@@kindlin you're the bot!

[@kindlin]

@@nukepcr It was some other weird post that I subsequently identified as spam

[@bizffatar5824]

Psychedelics are just an amazing discovery. It's quite fascinating how effective they are for depression and stress disorders. Saved my life

[@janeb.burrow2418]

proven very effective in the treatment of various mental health issues aside from other health benefits. Helped me get out of years of depression and excessive alcohol use.

[@debratwidwellmarshall6431]

​@@janeb.burrow2418 I've been looking to try shrooms, anyone knows where can I acquire some?

[@cathywalton1062]

​@@debratwidwellmarshall6431 Yes. dr.jackshroom

[@MirableHarison]

​@@cathywalton1062Can I find him on Instagram?

[@MarkRoland-ou3qh]

@@MirableHarison sure he's dr jackshroom 🥰

[@id10t98]

I've been gathering, eating and cooking wild and farmed mushrooms for around 50 years. While cooking, mushrooms are like a delicate, young, little child and need your full attention. I have found the best way to cook the cremini farmed type is to start with a pretty hot, dry pan and toss the mushrooms in, sliced or chunked, constantly moving them to prevent sticking but also to allow each one to touch the hot surface and start to brown, even if just momentarily. Seriously, dont look away, dont walk away, keep moving them around in the hot pan. This method seems to lock in the majority of the moisture if done correctly and doesnt burn the food either. As the level of brown gets to my liking, I then make room in the pan off to the side and then add a small amount of oil or butter to this blank area so it has time to heat up BEFORE it is touching the mushrooms. DO NOT put cold oil on semi-cooked, hot mushrooms! And only use as much oil or butter as you think is needed to coat the mushrooms. Turn the heat down as needed to prevent burning. Season to taste and enjoy!

[@miabussell0229]

"Everybody gets things wrong sometimes, but the French culinary establishment is often both wrong and snooty about it, which is a punchable combination." I am home, Adam.

[@PaulaBean]

Yeah, just like searing the meat 'to keep in the juices'.

[@PaulaBean]

Or the presumed fact that mayonnaise is not a 'mother sauce'.

[@ArvilVonPoney]

An an unofficially appointed ambassador to French cuisine, I see our superiority has led to some controversy. May I help you overcome your frustration in any way ?

[@max_meliani]

@@PaulaBean isn't mayonnaise a bastard daugher of Hollandaise?

[@thewisewolf768]

@@ArvilVonPoney You can be superior and wrong and snooty

[@baumstanz]

When you cover the pan with a lid for two minutes, you can very quickly make them push out their own water, remove the lid and evaporate it quickly without adding any extra water. I think that way you get a higher core temperature more quickly, which is why it works

[@joshwilner5622]

I'm this is basically my preferred method 👍

[@tuomasronnberg5244]

Same. I let them stew in their own juices, then reduce it by removing the lid.

[@laululla]

Yes. Why add water, when mushrooms already have high water content?

[@joschkokroger2699]

@@laululla exactly!

[@uniworkhorse]

big brain method

[@MrMelty]

I'm curious how my method works with store-bought mushrooms, but for fresh foraged mushrooms, I've learned to heat them in a dry pan until a little after the water comes out, then add oil (specifically butter) and finish. This works fantastically for porcini, which is pretty similar to a giant button mushroom. I usually end up with nicely crisped slices.

[@Mnnvint]

Yes. Apparently Adam likes mushrooms to be a little spongy, but chanterelles get hopelessly soggy if you cook them in oil right away, and pore mushrooms will get the consistency of an overripe slug. I like mushrooms firm.

[@isabellehonorato7442]

I recently started to do that with my store bought mushrooms, after seeing videos of people that forage cooking them and it works amazingly for any mushroom. I get the same crisp and richness of cooking them in butter from the start, but using like 1/5 of the butter I was using, so they feel lighter and I can taste the mushroom itself better

[@MrMelty]

@@isabellehonorato7442 oh yeah, within 5 seconds of throwing oil in that dry pan with hot mushrooms, they just soak it up. Starting with oil in the pan could def pull so much more into the mushies and require you to add oil. This method is really good for cultivated mushrooms other than buttons. I've had some beautiful king oysters and they're fantastic this way

[@HawthorneHillNaturePreserve]

You are correct, sir! This guy in his video has got it wrong. Dry, sauté till the water releases, then add some fat and aromatics.

[@user-ps1ft1hy4j]

They are in fact the same species.

[@imaginitivity7853]

An alternative is to semi dry the mushrooms before using them. I usually leave foraged mushrooms in kitchen towel in the fridge for a week or so prior to use. I find the flavour is intensified and there's less fluid in the pan to worry about

[@ComfortableTool86]

Personally for me, I absolutely love the dense meatiness you get when you boil the mushrooms and all their flavour concentrates because they shrink to be so small. It's great with whole mushrooms, add whatever spices and flavors you want and finish with some butter or olive oil.

[@l.u.c.a.s.]

Yup. I don't eat meat and I use mushrooms when I want something chewy on my plate w/ some rice or veggies.

[@davids9522]

same

[@KatanaFPV]

since you love the concentrated flavors as much as i do! heres something you can do if you are feeling like treating yourself to something special :) when the shrooms get this dense and concentrated, processing them with some caramelized onion, white wine (cook it out a little), and a touch of cream makes the most insane dipping sauce for a wide variety of things! Try slicing some lean beef into the thinnest (i mean real thin!) bitesize pieces, Velveting them for 15 mins with some baking soda, then putting them in a screaming hot cast iron pan for 15-25 seconds on each side (no over crowding, rotate that meat in and out of the pan for max browning). sprinkle some salt, freshly cracked black pepper and that mushroom sauce and my friend, you are in heaven, rice, bread, on its own, its a banger either way :) *TIp:* make sure you bring that sauce back into the pan after you are done, deglaze it with a little more white wine to capture and harness all those flavors we developed with that beef seer! If you decide to deglaze with some high quality balsamic vinegar you can add some tang, sweetness and color in there for a little "Je ne sais quoi"

[@Juguitosdemora]

I always do mushrooms in a non stick teflon pan and just put a bit of oil at the highest heat my stove can produce and keep moving them around so they don't burn and when they begin to realease water I leave them until completely dry then I turn the heat to medium and let them brown for a bit, I also chop them very thick and they endup dense and juicy on the inside, I don't personaly like the earthy flavor of the mushrooms that I can get at my local grocery store and cooking them that way makes them lose all that earhty flavor

[@Noooiiiissseee]

It's crazy that some people prefer slimy, half-cooked mushrooms. I always think the reason mushrooms are so polarising is because 90% of people haven't ever eaten one that's been cooked enough.

[@lorenzn5601]

Here is what I figured out: You can also add salt very early. This helps to draw moisture out of the mushrooms. Remember that mushrooms are ~90% water. Unlike the water method you cook for a shorter time and so they end up less leathery. And unlike the traditional method you usually don't need to add more oil because at that stage the water starts to come out. Just cook until the water is evaporated and then some of the oil comes out and you can brown them. I noticed that this works better the riper / softer they are (when their heads are mostly open)

[@CateSaturn]

this is what I do. Salt makes things cook a little faster

[@Juserjus]

I honestly just fry them dry in a nonstick pan, after 2-3min they automatically start steaming in their own water

[@lastonegal6533]

​​@@Juserjus Wow! I just posted that I have really bad insomnia...all night I watch cooking shows. But I got very upset by my not cooking my mushrooms the right way? I started to not feel so well and my stomach hurt to the point that I physically didn't feel well. But as the sun is rising...I just saw your post. I would be good to toss my mushrooms into a non-stick pan and on low heat then turn them until their juices are released and that's it. Right? I like this channel; but it is intense. I want to start a catering company and I know how to cook but I really want to know everything about foods. So now I'm wide awake, thinking about Durham flour to now mushrooms. I knew I should've watched a boring show like how to make a dump cake with all the preservatives and chemicals known to mankind which is pretty wow when you see what these people post on KZbin. 😮

[@OneWhoWas]

I do the same. And salt is awesome on mushrooms. I tend to cook for a long time in butter after that, cause.... Butter. I eventually pull them when they have a distinct golden colour on them. That caramelized flavor with a hit from the salt is perfection to me.

[@lastonegal6533]

@Dallas Moman Now, I find they just taste better with cooking my mushrooms in butter and add a white Pinot Gris and then add my whipping cream, and I use onions in with the butter and my shrooms. And if this doesn't work well in what I'm cooking, I try the same thing but with a red wine. But still, if this is not a good combo? Then I just say F it and use butter and onions. But there is no way that I can even try to cook my mushrooms with just their inner water without anything and I guess you have to cook them over a dot of a flame and try to wait hours, probably to let them cook on a non-stick pan without anything else to be able, I guess to claim that those little suckers do indeed have an abundance of water inside them? And then I can say and boast that I sautéed them for waiting on my two feet for days waiting to proclaim that I was able to understand that mushrooms do indeed have an abundance of natural water inside each stupid one of them! I don't think I like mushrooms anymore. I cook them the French way! Tons of butter, onions, and wine (usually) a white one and then incorporate or really just dump the whipping cream and then drink the leftover wine and call it a night! But I'm learning about flour and now I'm learning about different salts and next week I'm learning all about sugars. I've been upset about these mushrooms! Thank God I'm not trying to sleep right now! Cause this whole show really got under my skin! 🤮🤮🤮 Next!

[@rhinowizard3821]

I eat sauteed mushrooms almost every day, there are some things Adam got wrong here. Here are my 4 tips for the most delicious, juicy, carmelized mushrooms you have ever had. (Dont sautee them in water). 1. Cutting them in much larger peices (For Crimini and Baby Bella I almost always do halves) and starting with a very hot pan will allow you to get a beautiful browned color (Maillard reaction) on the outside while not shrinking the mushroom too much and keeping the center juicy, tender, and flavorful. Add the oil first and wait until it spits when your throw a drop of water into the pan to put them in. Putting mushrooms in a cold pan and adding cold oil will never give you the best results. 2. You should wait until right before you take them out to season them, as Adam mentioned the salt aggresively dehydrates the mushrooms and results in a pan full of water and a leathery shrunken mushroom. 3. I would use a lot less oil here then Adam is using - you really only need enough to barely coat the bottom of the pan to eliminate sticking and transfer heat (on a stainless steel chefs pan). The mushrooms may appear more "dry" in the pan then normal veggies but that is only because the oil has been absorbed into the very outer layers of the mushroom. When you pour them out of the pan and you get a slick of oil (9:55) its a good sign you overdid it. 4. Don't stir them so much! I see Adam is constantly stirring here, which is disturbing the browning process by flipping the mushrroms and allowing the hot sides to cool off before the browning reaction has occured. You want to give the mushrooms a chance to develop the crispy layer, which won't happen if you're constantly stirring the pan. 5. Using these steps, you should be able to sautee beautifuly browned but still juicy mushrooms in less than 5 minutes. It takes less time in a hotter pan.

[@henningbartels6245]

Please note, cooking for less than 5 min just works because you just prepare variations of the button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) which can be eaten raw. Other mushroom varieties could raw poisonous (like morrels) should be cooked longer than 5 min or other are difficult to digest like Dark Honey Fungus (Armillaria ostoyae) if not cooked for 15 min.

[@Gamerdude775]

yeah, really gonna trust a fucking yt comment instead of a literal chef

[@Quizack]

Did he really get it wrong, or do you just have a different opinion? Because that’s what it seems like to me.

[@SaoirseVisceral]

​​@@Gamerdude775 adam is a chef? I thought hes just a nerdy homecook

[@nanwuamitofo]

Excellent critique! Adam's gotten a bit snooty.

[@benambage4767]

my new favourite cooking channel !! i love how you explain these culinary techniques so scientifically :)

[@JacKAsterisK]

I've noticed this intuitively too. I wasn't sure why I preferred to traditionally cook mushrooms, but I felt when I used the water method they were too dense. Thank you for the explanation, it always makes me a better cook to understand the underlying mechanisms!

[@SylviaRustyFae]

You can also try pourin off the water when you get the shrooms to desired size

[@firenter]

A similar trick I got from Dan over on America's Test Kitchen is microwaving your mushrooms first, it produces something similar to the water trick except it's easier to separate the shrooms from their liquid imo (and you can save said liquid for later to enhance your sauce or something) and as such there's less "overcooking" But I'm also very much in the traditional camp but only add fat at the start, don't add more, the fats will just come back out after a while

[@hathorthecow7146]

I do this to my onions when caramelizing, and just use the juice as a deglazing agent when they start sticking. No flavor lost, so much less time spent babysitting the stove.

[@SylviaRustyFae]

​@@roberttaylor9259 Yeah, i do this with everythin i cook, meats and shrooms esp tho. I save the liquid actually so i can readd it at the end, to taste, so that it gets reabsorbed and makes the meat or shrooms juicier alongside the tastiness of brownin

[@MrClickity]

About how long? 10-20 seconds or so?

[@hathorthecow7146]

@@MrClickity probably a couple minutes, use best judgement. I do my onions for up to 15 min but they're a lot juicier and a massive batch.

[@someguy2135]

I just slice my mushrooms and microwave them for a couple of minutes in a small bowl about 1/3-1/2 full of Trader Joe's miso ginger broth. Makes a great miso soup with mushrooms. The umami of the mushrooms add to the umami of the miso.

[@ghillies3796]

Whenever I’m browning mushrooms for a soup I start with a bit of oil and salt, then as the oil starts to dry up I turn the heat a bit lower and pour a bit of soup stock into the pan and keep cooking with that. Since the mushrooms are going into a soup anyways it’s fine to remove them from the pan before it all boils away so you can get the desired texture while filling the mushrooms with the flavour of the broth before they go soggy. The best bit is putting the remaining mushroomy broth in the stock I freeze for the next time I make more stock. I’ve found that this method of cooking mushrooms to go in soup works quite well and also elevates the next stock I make.

[@nicosaloneftis6345]

If you add any water then the surface of the pan will cool down significantly and you won't be able to get any colour on the shrooms. The water they release is enough to prevent sticking and temper the high heat, but you will have to shake and toss them to prevent burning. This will be a very fast cook and you should add oil only after they start releasing water. You won't need much and it will allow you to enhance them with flavours like garlic, herbs 👌🏻

[@rana-rq8on]

I've started just throwing them in a dry pan with some salt. I find they don't actually stick that much, and the flavour I get from them is INCREDIBLE! The texture is fine for me..

[@adamc5914]

If you do the dry method with a bit of salt, they release their water much faster. So I usually just do a ton of mushrooms and some salt in a dry pan and the thermal interface is there pretty quickly. I didn't even realize people brown mushrooms in oil because they're just so tasty already, but I also know pretty much nothing of cooking and this is the only cooking channel I watch lol.

[@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr]

you dont cook in oil for taste, but for browning

[@Vietcongster]

Browning is a result of Maillard reactions, which is what makes golden crusts in bread and meat. In general it adds to the deliciousness of food, and in my opinion mushrooms are no exception.

[@grubgobbler3917]

That's Anthony Bourdain's method. A little bit of oil or butter and a big pinch of salt. All the water gets squeezed out much faster so you can brown them without overcooking. It also pares down the overall cook time, which is important for a restaurant.

[@adamc5914]

​@@Vietcongster I understand what browning is, and I see no indication in my original comment that suggests I needed someone to explain the definition for what browning is, but no worries. Glad you enjoy your oil method. Was just mentioning that the dry method shown in the video can be improved to the level of the other two methods shown.

[@adamc5914]

@@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr And browning is for? You are almost there! ... It's for taste!

[@Sirena860]

You just explained so much to me. I am totally with you on mushroom texture, and I never knew how to explain it.

[@jayden_the_bullnguyen1002]

Love watching your demonstrations ❤😊

[@nairdacnalbel]

i agreed with the problems you had with the water method, so i modified it slightly. i use far less water, and i cover and steam the mushrooms, this partially collapses the shrooms, then i add oil to brown, and since the steaming only half cooks them, they don't get nearly as firm. i work in a kitchen, on a griddle, so i use a squirt of water from the bottle i have on hand (a couple tablespoons), and i put the griddle cover lid thing over it while i get the rest of the sandwich going.

[@LuisC7]

Sandwich with mushrooms? Tell me more!

[@MasterBunnyFu]

@@LuisC7 Mushrooms are great on burgers (e.g., mushroom & Swiss), cheesesteaks, melts, etc. A lot of hot sandwiches go great with sautéed mushrooms.

[@LuisC7]

@@MasterBunnyFu ohhhh yeah definitely, amazing burgers with mushroom sauce. Kinda want to make one right now hahah. Looking at the mushrooms in the fridge right now 👀

[@nairdacnalbel]

@@MasterBunnyFu yeah, basically that

[@amichayr3418]

i assume that you still get quite a lot of fizzing, cuase all the water just stay there?

[@ayandas874]

I cook it with butter before adding them to my pasta at the last second. It tastes so great. I love how the mushroom absorbs that butter taste.

[@Mrdinomist]

I usually cook then in butter or olive oil i feel these combinations work best

[@dionomed9144]

Try clarified butter, really easy to make and lasts weeks in the fridge.. You get the taste but it has a higher smoke point so less chance of the butter burning.

[@Mrdinomist]

@@dionomed9144 truffle butter is also amazing option but it needs to be homemade no store low quality stuff

[@mebibyte9347]

Underrated channel. This was the video that sent me on a journey

[@tresheureuse]

I live in the Loire Valley where most of France’s Champignons de Paris are grown (white button mushrooms). I was astonished when I first saw French friends PEELING mushrooms before cooking. Now I do the same! Heading off now to try your water trick. I’ve learned so much from you Adam!

[@henningbartels6245]

I live in Germany and we would only be peel larger/ older Champignons found in the wild at pasture. Those bought in a super market are relatively small and tender.

[@lilpwnige]

Personally instead of water, I add small amounts of stock. I find the mushrooms taste better, and the fat in the stock helps control sticking. By only adding that small amount of liquid and regularly topping it up, you gain a lot of control as to when the browning phase starts and as an added bonus the stock usually creates some fond in the pan which can be deglazed into a nice mushroom sauce.

[@Kedai610]

I very often cook mushrooms in stock, wine, or whatever I want the sauce to be in the final dish. Helps add extra flavor

[@thanhavictus]

Just use a heavy nonstick. It's infinitely better than stainless.

[@lilpwnige]

@@thanhavictus Personally I feel like non-stick is too limiting. You can achieve better results with stainless steel if you know how to use it. The high heat limitations of non-stick really prevent you from building flavours by say using mushrooms and stock to deglaze the pan after searing a steak. A good stainless steel is by far the most versatile and durable material for pots and pans.

[@johnb7046]

@@lilpwnige Yep. The nonstick pan is for the amateur chef or an easy fish. I find the chemicals to be off-putting anyway. The new ones are especially terrible with scratching - they scratched with plastic and that's trash. Every utensil or cooking vessel has its place. Please for the love of God people - do not use scratched nonstick pans!

[@kylehazachode]

There's a third method, usually used for cooking a ton of mushrooms at a time: Put pounds of mushrooms in a deep pot, add a little bit of cold wine and cold water and turn on the heat. Put a lid on the pot and steam the mushrooms until they start expelling water. You can now remove the lid and cook away the water. I've seen this method done with ice cubes and wine too.

[@JakDRipa]

Suggesting to Adam Ragusia that he should cook something in wine. This guy knows his audience

[@Prevbdbdudufhdh]

I have researched and found out that shrooms are very helpful, it has really helps to reduce anxiety and depression, I would love to try magic mushrooms but can't easily get some, Is there any realiable source I can purchase one

[@bryanjacob8399]

My last trip 5 months ago changed my life.

[@mohammedmohan758]

/trippy_arnold/ Got psychs

[@mohammedmohan758]

@allangary5783 Yes

[@mohammedmohan758]

@allangary5783 He got trips ( DMT magic shrooms, bars, LSD)

[@liamlucas9656]

wow, how did you know him,got an ounce of shrooms from him last month, Didn't expect his name to be mentioned here on YT

[@senecawebb509]

I have to say, I tried the water method, and I feel like this is the first time I've successfully browned a mushroom in my life. I didn't mind the extra toothesomeness. I feel like it added to the meaty texture.

[@d2cbro]

Yes, I prefer the chewy texture

[@topogigio7031]

So you're glad to be wrong?

[@pendlera2959]

@@topogigio7031 Why are you taunting them?

[@unchartedsteppes7138]

@@topogigio7031 least obvious bait

[@kayvee256]

Agreed. It's defintely a personal taste thing. I find that the water method gives mushrooms with a more mushroomy flavor. Not sure if that's my brain playing tricks on me, but I _think_ it's because you're concentrating the mushroom-ness.

[@codyh5232]

Salt the mushrooms in the pan, it speeds up the moisture drain for good brown mushrooms. Alternatively, if you like the water mushroom, maybe cook them with an onion for flavored moisture at least.

[@necroseus]

I cook my mushrooms with butter, and I cook them lightly. It more reliably distributes the heat, even when it is absorbed into the hyphae, tastes better than any cooking oil, and by the end it browns *super* nicely. They taste cooked, remain 2/3 the size, are very juicy, and don't piss water all over your food. I don't like wetting them to clean them, because they get slimy. And when they're slimy like that, they just leak all over and take longer to cook properly.l, in my experience. Give butter a try! :)

[@user-ps1ft1hy4j]

They don't get slimy; they already are slimy -- the water doesn't add any oil. It just releases it. Keep gently rubbing and washing and the slime goes away.

[@rosco1pug]

I find that a brief zap in the microwave effectively softens and cooks mushrooms enough to be ready to season and serve. Browning is another matter, but each to their own.

[@tristensima4882]

Whenever I've used this method, I'll typically just pile up the mushrooms at one side and dump out the extra water once I've gotten them to the doneness I'm looking for. It still takes a little bit of feel, but it definitely controls it way more

[@SLDR23876]

yeah, this is what i do too. just dump the water and get to browning once you've decided it's steamed long enough.

[@amberf2306]

Don't chuck the extra water away. It will make a great base for a stock or broth. A few boiled mushrooms added to beef gravy (if you eat meat) is the best thing in the world!

[@SylviaRustyFae]

This is the way, tho i usually readd the liquid, to taste, when the food is browned up, as it makes it juicier and works to deglase

[@SylviaRustyFae]

​@@SLDR23876 Save that water and readd it, you get juicy shrooms and browned shrooms at the same time

[@uncopino]

having experimented with sautéed mushrooms a lot myself… this filled a few gaps in my understanding of the whole thing. very cool video, as always, good pace, fun writing, interesting conjectures and little experiments. loved it

[@leahhoward7645]

This is the most interesting video I have seen in a long time! Thank you

[@robertpeyton9535]

I suspect this has already been addressed, but when you use the water method, drain the pan after a few minutes on high heat to let them express their internal water, reserving the liquid. If you want a really crisp texture, use the water method and when the mushrooms are at your desired texture, remove them from the pan, toss them with a starch like corn or potato starch or wheat flour and then give them a quick, hot shallow fry in a fat. They won't absorb as much and they'll have a crisp exterior. Personally, I have no problems cooking mushrooms on extremely high heat with just a little fat as long as I do it in batches, though I usually use a (functionally non-stick) wok. One final thought on the water-method generally - why use water? Why not add some flavor? I'll have to try the technique out using things like wine, brandy, stock/broth and maybe even milk or cream and low heat?

[@user-ps1ft1hy4j]

Yes! Chicken broth is an old-school staple used for adding flavor to almost anything savory. In the olden days of my mother and grandmother, nobody threw the scraps out -- they simmered the into stock that could be used for gravies, soups, sauces, almost anything.

[@eziowayne]

I really appreciate your concise, down to Earth explanations!

[@lorassorkin]

Most interesting and useful mushroom content since Alton's episode on mushroom cleaning and water absorption. Thanks!

[@xybergay8587]

I add a cup or so of water at the start and boil them at the max setting on my induction stove until the water is (mostly) gone once I'm at that stage I add in butter and saute until slightly crispy and golden brown. This saves me a lot of time as I only need to actively babysit the mushrooms for a few minutes near the end, and I have never had problems with their taste or texture. I sometimes do something similar with eggplant when I want them completely browned and dissolved into the sauce - this also helps thicken the sauce with less flour or starches.

[@Drayran]

I usually give them a quick dry roast in a non-stick pan with a bit of salt, let them shrink by roughly a third their original size and then hit them up with an appropriate amount of fat. Never had to deal with any torrents of hot oil and water or add too much fat and end up with oil dripping mushrooms.

[@pssurvivor]

As chef john says, first we make em wet, then we make em dry and then we make em wet again. Works for me. Sometimes i find hack videos or technique videos overwhelming (america's test kitchen I'm looking at you) edit: i wash my mushrooms, add them to a hot dry pan with salt and some butter

[@riskinhos]

great work to remove flavour

[@barneylaurance1865]

Then we dust the wets.

[@PeaceMastah]

@@riskinhosnah

[@riskinhos]

@@PeaceMastah yea.

[@abonynge]

I make a mushroom based "cheesesteak" in which I use a copious amount of Worcestershire sauce in the first stage of cooking, then add beef tallow for browning to finish. This makes the most savory "cheesesteak" style sandwich I've ever had. (I may or may not also use a bit of MSG) But I find that the sponge-like nature of mushrooms to absorb whatever you put in the pan with them is an amazing way to just compound savory flavors.

[@dillonbowman9695]

We might need a recipe here

[@tylermitchell185]

Drop a recipe

[@JohnEZang]

Add a dollop of marmite for even more savory umami.

[@stevethea5250]

uhhh so why doesnt he use water trick ?

[@theelectricant98]

I gotta try that

[@jashiinobadii]

Thanks! That was very informative.

[@Fjarninger]

I can buy mushrooms in a tin if I want pre cooked mushrooms. My grandma cooked with them and It reminds me a little bit to her and the chewy pork schnitzel she made with the mushrooms. But fresh coocked mushrooms in oil are also okay. Just different.

[@wenyang5916]

My home town is famous for wild eatable mushrooms (Yunnan, in case anyone wondering). When we str-fry cook mushrooms back home, we use a lot of oil, almost like deep fry, then drain the excess oil before serving. It's delicious!

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

Instead of oil or water, use a dry pan and high heat - the water gets pushed out of the mushroom fairly quickly, you will start to get some browning, and once they get to the doneness you're looking for, add in a small amount of oil or butter for flavor.

[@horizontbeskrajneinovacije6440]

Tahnk You...another perfect one... So true...cooking it in water makes them unplesantly watery and too elastic also without any taste. hot oil, sliced masrooms, short cooking just untill they get some color...is what tastes the best

[@michaelmcdowell7096]

I should try this, I love well done browned mushrooms.

[@TheSam1902]

You can also drain the pan when it's full of water instead of waiting for it all to evaporate. Then you can add back some oil and fry them without overcooking. You can also reuse the water (juice) you got out to make a sauce!

[@lindaaston9260]

😊 You beat me to it!

[@michaelfujii2765]

Yeah. Or start with too little and add tiny amounts at a time to get them right where you want them with just the amount of water you wantin the pan

[@TyFurmanItGetsBetter]

I want you to host a reboot of Good Eats please, you already have the same cadence as Alton Brown, love to discuss food science, and edit like the show, it's a match made in heaven.

[@Mental_Patient]

Coincidentally Alton did an experiment with washing mushrooms. He weighed a pound washed with water, and a pound rubbed clean. Needless to say, he is a believer in washing

[@azul4904]

i wish everyone would be into food science, i’m no expert by any means but it’s so fascinating. the more i learn the more i wanna keep learning.

[@peterbradburn9115]

Delighted you've discovered the fried slice, keystone of any Full English/Welsh/Scottish/Irish Breakfast 😃👍

[@mpcrazyscience7097]

I do the same thing with eggplants and it works great. Without water, they just absorb all the oil

[@aaronthewhiz3160]

Good job Adam releasing a video about mushrooms on 4/20 ;)

[@cognitiveinstinct2929]

That cut from dropping the mushroom down and it being a piece of bread is for some reason weirdly satisfying as a transition lol.

[@gwynnlinn1133]

This is so good! Thank you!

[@bopeep268]

Completely dry method until browning starts and the mushrooms are drying out. Then you add oil and salt and pepper. Greatest way to get both a superior taste but also a lovely aroma.

[@shanetaylor761]

When I saw this hack, I was sketchy about it and kinda ended up having the same problem. Rather than putting too much and slowly using less, I did the opposite. I figured if I've been cooking mushrooms with oil in the past, a worst-case scenario is water spits up like usual. Then, slowly, I added more and more water for the initial process until I felt like I had the ratio perfect. I figure even if you don't use enough water, you're still using less oil, and that's the main goal. I've never actually cared about the tiny bit of oil that splashes up. I just want my mushrooms to absorb less oil.

[@michaelcalibri3620]

Perfect explanation

[@lukas_dox]

I sometimes cook my mushrooms in quiet a bit more water and letting all the water reduce down then you have a very condensed flavor and if you like you can take the mushrooms out and make a sauce with the water you cooked them in.

[@waterdragonwd7350]

Note that the oil on the sated mushroom might influence it's sinkging behaviour. Regarding overcooking mushrooms: If you try to fry mushrooms which are made of lots of little parallel tubes (Internet says thats boletes in English), they will fall apart and become a mushy mess. But that might be due to the structure on a larger level than the molecular one.

[@smaginn1]

If you want to limit how long it takes to cook off the excess moisture, you can pour of quite a bit of the liquid once the mushrooms have squeezed it out. That lets you get to the "add oil and brown" step faster, mitigating the risk of over cooking the mushrooms.

[@alsaunders7805]

You are also throwing away flavor though, and probably some vitamin D. 🤔🤓🍻

[@ancientburrito9893]

If you over cook mushrooms you shouldn’t be cooking in the first place, they are so hard to over cook

[@danglerumphston5363]

The subtle jiggling of the mushroom prop as he shakes it gives me both joy and anxiety that it will fall apart.

[@Ice-kj5cx]

Good demonstration brother keep up the good ones

[@InViSiBlEGuy1]

Hey adam i remember watching you for 3 years and i just wanted to say thank you for showing me how to cook;)

[@grythm]

While the compromise IS an extra dish to clean, one option is to just strain the mushrooms after most of the liquid has come out in the water method. Works especially well if you've got somewhere else you can use the liquid (IE deglazing a pan you've seared meat on)

[@whyme8848]

Okay head chef here. my fav method is to shake them in a bowl while adding oil and salt then wait like 5 to let the salt draw the water out and put them in the oven on the highest heat till they're brown. Try this with whole king oyster mushrooms for example

[@BooBaddyBig]

I do a variation on this, I don't add any water or oil, I just pile them up and microwave them in a huge batch.Then I freeze them and use them as needed. I have noticed that if you cut the mushrooms too thick, then they go chewy. I think the problem is that the outside dries out first. If you cut them thinner, then the moisture can escape from the center and they don't dry out so unevenly and they don't go chewy.

[@swozzlesticks3068]

I like the denser texture. I find the softer texture of mushrooms cooked the conventional way to be extremely unappetizing, even if its encased in a more crusty brown surface. I'll always use the water trick, I love it. I wonder why you didn't try to just empty the water out before they shrank too much. Fresh mushrooms, especially the white button and baby bella variety have very little flavor anyway, whatever flavor you lost out on by dumping the water I don't think would be a big deal.

[@ajitkirpekar4251]

I'm glad Adam articulated something I feel as well with regards to the water method. I wasn't sure if it was just my preconceptions messing with me, but the mushrooms felt "overcooked" even as Dan Souza told me that was impossible. I myself prefer the mushrooms partially cooked and still having a bit of plumpness to them when eaten. Thanks for pointing this out Adam.

[@Jonathanbass1990]

I also noticed that when I tear the mushrooms to chunks by hand, they stay significantly firmer than when I cut them in quarters, even in wet sauces.

[@Davor.Spasoski]

Nice video @Adam Ragusea. I'm trying it today. One note: Though it sounds counter intuitive, water does not evaporate only at 100 Celsius, it can evaporate under any temperature above its freezing point, only much less so under its boiling point. At low pressures even below 0 C. Otherwise, we would never see clouds without oceans, seas, lakes and rivers literary boil. It does boil at 100 C at 0 m altitude and normal atmospheric pressure.

[@ramblr8161]

The texture and taste of mushrooms had always been a huge ick to me, but the water method, when my partner tried it recently, honestly made me a mushroom enjoyer.

[@craterellus3577]

The rule of avoiding water when cleaning mushrooms is actually very applicable to chanterelles. They are straight up sponges and will absorb so much water so quickly that they will get all slimy if you dont immediately put them in a pan to dry sautee afterwards.

[@BrokenFrameProductions]

I pick and cook a ton of chantarelles every season, and I always wash them before cooking them in butter. Unless your chantarelles are water-logged already (due to heavy rain), they won't get slimy. It's perfectly fine to wash chantarelles; and from a hygiene perspective, it's preferable to just brushing them.

[@Flimzes]

@@BrokenFrameProductions Came here to say this, only waterlogged chantarelles absorb water in a regular cleaning, and the are usually pretty unpleasant to eat anyways in my opinion.

[@craterellus3577]

@@BrokenFrameProductions that actually makes a lot of sense. The chanterelles that I pick do generally receive more rain than most parts of the world (I'm from Oregon) so I've had bad experiences with washing with water. I'll definitely have to start washing my early season chanterelles from now on though.

[@laululla]

What kind of hygiene difference there is between cleaning and washing? Bacteria will not survive in the cooking temperature.

[@craterellus3577]

@@laululla none unless you plan to eat them raw. I wouldnt eat most varieties of mushrooms raw anyways as most of them will leave you with an upset stomach in some capacity.

[@Kivas_Fajo]

The boss of the pizzeria I worked at, he was from Sicilly, made the mushrooms for the pizzas the same way, but obviously in huge amounts in the oven. That way they lose their water there and not water down the pizza.

[@jacob416]

I cook my mushrooms in a dry pan with lots of stirring. Starting with a cold pan gives the mushrooms time to release some of their own water before they burn. And once that boils off they are usually flat enough to get some browning on the bare pan. It’s a little higher effort than using water/oil in a hot pan but the result is great. The mushrooms are tender and flavorful without being saturated with oil.

[@KK-ef1ow]

Am I a heathen for using no water or oil? I just add a pinch of salt and cook till they've spat out all their water and it's evaporated.

[@adamc5914]

I do this too. Mushrooms are so insanely good that I never even thought to do much more than that, like using oil etc. I may try some oil next time though.

[@lgolem09l]

Hey Adam, when I tried this for the first time, I just removed some of the water at the last stage before adding oil to speed up the evaporation. It's not really hat hard to do with a spoon

[@jamesbroderick5311]

Been doing this for years, as I'm a forager. Funny how this is my favorite video of yours, man. :)

[@ScepticMatt]

I use the water method but remove the water one the structure has collapsed

[@monarchsown6938]

Just used the wet method to cook some common white mushrooms as a side for chicken parm. Used some of the oil from the chicken to finish the shrooms. *chef's kiss* Delicious

[@rockrvilt]

Interesting as always 😊 Although you didn't mention the difference in taste between the two methods. For me at least I feel that the mushrooms cooked in water first has a much stronger "mushroomy"/umami flavour than the conventional method, why is that? Maybe more of the glutamate in the mushroom is released during the water phase and concentrated on the surface when the water reduces and you fry them in oil, giving a more imidiate umami taste? The mushroom definetly gets smaller and a tiny bit tougher as you mentioned, but I don't mind that in exchange for the taste😊

[@drakedbz]

I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms, but my mom is. She'll often cook some mushrooms to put on pizza that she makes. Rather than doing it in a pan on the stove, she actually puts them on parchment on a baking sheet and bakes them. I wonder if maybe this works because it dries them out a bit more, which might work better with pizza rather than the more oily ones you'd get from a sautee.

[@chrisel4349]

Can’t she just put the raw mushrooms directly on the pizza and let the mushrooms cook as the pizza is baking? That’s how the chain pizza places do it.

[@lnsflare1]

​@@chrisel4349Personally, I like to cook and season my toppings separately, then let it chill and then sprinkle it on the pizza, toss a light layer of cheese on top of it, then toss it into the oven to simultaneously bake the pizza and reheat the toppings.

[@KentBunn]

I've started using the oven to brown them too. Nice big batch, no muss, no fuss.

[@notreallydavid]

'is comprised of' - ouch! Great video - so helpful and informative.

[@bradnewsbear]

I didn't know cooking mushrooms in oil was even possible, my mom taught me some cooking growing up and when she sauteed mushrooms it was always with water- I just assumed it made the mushrooms too oily or something the other way but never asked. Now it makes sense why ours at home always tasted better 😃

[@Shiftarus]

You still need oil or butter, water is only used sometimes at the start

[@pennyfarting]

00:44 for the best and most true sentence Adam has ever said

[@trip_six]

You don't even need water. Just about every time I make hamburgers, I simply toss some mushrooms straight in the pan after I take the burgers out and cover it. There's not really any grease left in the pan, but the spices and char left over from the burgers are there. Just cover the pan (to trap the water coming out of the mushrooms) and cook/steam them while stirring occasionally. They also get a nice sear from the pan and take on the flavor from the hamburgers too. All in all, easiest way i've found to cook them.

[@ChrisBeardsley]

I put a cover on the mushroom pan, with a little salt. As the water releases, drain it off into a side dish (usually 2 drains, maybe 3). Ideally, remove the mushrooms reheat the pan adding oil or butter and the mushrooms to crisp them up, but you can just heat in the pan too. That mushroom water on the side will make an excellent addition to the dish, or can be the basis for a quick mushroom sauce.

[@toddbod94]

2:50 Adam discovers the British breakfast delicacy, fried bread.

[@tomwood5896]

Came here to comment the same. Traditionally I guess it's fried in all the leftover fat from the fried bacon and sausages, rather than olive oil, but yeah it's a thing.

[@amberf2306]

I use the water trick for foraged mushrooms that either have toxins you wanna cook out or might have had things crawling on them so you want to make sure they're well cooked to kill off any nasties. I don't mind a denser mushroom though. I am literally sat here eating home made mushroom jerky and its delicious!

[@bethanymcmurtrey9542]

Do the toxins really cook out or are they infused to the mushroom? Are there specific species of poisonous mushrooms that can be cooked out? Is it a case where a healthy adult can eat it, but not children and elderly?

[@amberf2306]

@@bethanymcmurtrey9542 It depends on the species of mushrooms. I've only been foraging for about 2 years so haven't eaten that many species. Some mushrooms have compounds that can cause gastric upset if not thoroughly cooked (I believe beefsteak fungus is one such example) but the heat breaks these compounds down. I have eaten beefsteaks fungus with no ill effects with the water method. I have two kids, ages 3 and 5, and I don't let them eat wild mushrooms yet as like you say a healthy adult can probably metabolise these compounds but a child or person with a compromised physical condition may get ill. I am a big fan of the channel www.youtube.com/@WildFoodUK1 since that's where I live. I cannot recommend them highly enough if you want to learn more about eating fungi you find in the wild. If you're not in the UK I would recommend finding advise from local channels or social media groups

[@bigbadboogie6842]

I used to cook fresh mushrooms for taste until i tried resturant deep frozen mushrooms. And heres how i got immense flavour from the mushroom. Cook them in some butter, low temp and let the water flood out. Let em cook till your preferred colour then add some butter at the end when theres still water left. A lot of the butter will stay in the pan/water but some goes in the mushrom. The mushroom taste A LOT and even teh water/butter left in the pam serves as an awesome starter for mushroom broth or sauce.

[@robbormerod867]

Happy to see you have discovered fried bread the staple of the Full English breakfast.

[@SylviaRustyFae]

Ragusea... You can just pour off the water when the mushrooms are at the ideal pt. Thats what i do with them and with meats as well. Like, i like to actually pour off the liquid from ground beef after i pour in a bit of water (or white wine, or for me; vinegar) to deglaze it a bit the first time. I then brown up the meat properly in just my cast iron with whatev residue liquid/oil is left, and then readd the liquid which gets absorbed so much more back into the meat (or mushrooms) I love that method bcuz it gets me juicier meats and shrooms, while also havin crispy browned bits

[@SylviaRustyFae]

@Adamraguse scambot