What is a mushroom exactly? That was a real question uttered by one of my culinary students at Sullivan University.
On its face it is a startlingly simple question and one which should require a sentence or two to answer. But considered more thoughtfully it has produced thousands of pages of research and opinion and spawned a huge network of mycologist chefs.
From the simple (some would say bland) button mushroom to the fungi that hug trees like a living comforter (hen of the woods) mushrooms have been a dietary staple of all cultures throughout history. The very fact though that the wrong mushroom could lead to an agonizing death has kept the focus of our culinary research narrow, and the source of the mushrooms even narrower still.
There are literally thousands of varieties of this fungi present in our forests, fields and valleys yet we tend to focus on the tried and true and we attach incredible importance and value to even fewer varieties.
To answer the original question, from a pure culinary perspective, a mushroom is a sponge. Almost all mushrooms are close to or above 90 percent water. They’re perfect repositories for flavor agents that range from subtle herbs to intense marinades of soy and chilies. The exchange of water for flavor can be accomplished in many ways, some as simple as dehydration.
A lot of mushroom-heavy cuisines dry their mushrooms for later use, intensifying the flavors of the mushroom by removing their moisture. This method of evaporation and reduction is how we intensify sauces distilled from a lighter flavored stock. When we use a dehydrated mushroom we re-hydrate in stock or water. This re-hydration reverses the process somewhat but the benefits lie in the mushroom stock that is produced.
This stock can then be reduced and strengthen into a flavor additive for pasta sauces, risottos or noodle bowl broths. The mushroom itself does lose some of its softer texture but the trade-off is usually worth the effort.
Another way to extract flavor from a mushroom is to roast or sauté it until it browns, the Maillard Effect. This caramelization of the mushroom not only extracts moisture but also the natural sweetness. Much like browning the crust of a roast, the sensation of umami becomes prevalent and the savory characteristics of a dish become even more intense.
This method increases the richness of a meat based dish or adds a depth to vegetarian dishes as well. Mushrooms are a mainstay to vegetarian cuisine precisely because they do project an aura of meatiness, a base if you will, that is familiar and comforting. Add roasted mushrooms to a roasted pork loin only enhances that connection.
Consider almost all the cooking methods you would use with meat and chances are that method works with mushrooms as well.
Choose the right mushroom for the dish and your cuisine rises to a whole new level. Don’t use dried mushrooms to roast with chicken, their lack of moisture will lead to toughness after roasting. Conversely a raw mushroom simmered in water will yield you very little in flavor that can compare to the intensity of a rehydrated mushroom.
Leaving the underneath gills in, provided they are clean, produces more flavor and sometimes-unwanted color so clean them out with a spoon before you start the cooking process. Choosing foraged mushrooms when available and from a reliable source acts much like a free range chicken versus a factory bird; more intense and clean flavors with an opportunity to showcase flavor and texture more readily.
Almost all the mushrooms we use at The Sage Rabbit are foraged or grown in small batches. Of particular appeal are the local hen of the woods, chicken of the woods and chanterelles. The bulk of our mushrooms are shiitakes, grown locally when available, and in the winter months when temperature and moisture are inconsistent we rely on shiitakes to carry the bulk of are load.
Shiitakes are the nexus of all things familiar about mushrooms. They are “mushroom” like in many ways from their subtle colors to firm texture to a chameleon like ability to pick up flavors without losing their identity they also keep remarkably well in a paper bag in your fridge. None of the slimy, smelly dankness of some varieties, the shiitake keeps it clean.
Other notable mushrooms of choice are the portabella and the cremini, almost carbon copies of the humble button mushroom in many ways. While they are prone to spoil and darken at the same rate as the button mushroom, they do provide kore flavor, a dense texture suitable for marinades and grilling, and a closer connection to the animal proteins that they accompany and sometimes mimic.
It is important to choose the right mushroom for the job. Buy only from reliable sources and when branching out err on the cautious side. If you are at all concerned about allergies, ask your doctor.
Be adventurous but stay within the bounds of practicality, truffles are great but don’t start dropping hundreds of dollars for an ounce of white truffle, perhaps start with the oil infused with truffles first! Start simple, develop a flavor profile for mushrooms and then explore cooking methods for that mushroom.
The Sage Rabbit Cream of Mushroom Soup
Very few soups that I’ve done have created as much of a loyal fan base as this one. Quick, relatively cost effective and delicious I get weekly requests for this one even when it not on the menu. I use shiitakes primarily but it works well with portabella, cremini and if you’re feeling frisky, chanterelles. This is a single serving, done to order, so the soup’s only binding agent is reduction.
½ cup chopped shiitakes
Marsala wine
Heavy cream
Salt and pepperThe procedure is even simpler than the ingredients; Sauté the shiitakes in a scant amount of clarified butter until they are browned and starting to shrink. Pull the pan from the flame and add at least an ounce of Marsala, more if you want a dominant flavor in your soup. Flame the pan over the burner being careful not to catch yourself or your kitchen on fire.
When the flames subside, add heavy cream for the amount of soup that you want. Reduce to coat the back of your spoon, season with salt and pepper and eat. This soup is designed for the restaurant so it focuses on speed and intensifying the mushroom flavor quickly. It is not a reheat and there is no roux involved so it must be done to order. You can have a more stable soup by following the same steps and simply adding some flour to the shitakes after you flame them and some stock to the soup before you finish with cream.
The addition of the flour in the same pan allows you just to coat the cooked mushrooms with enough flour to combine with the butter. This “pan roux” or sanger will react with the mushroom stock to thicken the soup and then you can add the cream to finish to the richness and viscosity you desire.
John Foster is an executive chef who heads the culinary program at Sullivan University’s Lexington campus. A New York native, Foster has been active in the Lexington culinary scene and a promoter of local and seasonal foods for more than 20 years. The French Culinary Institute-trained chef has been the executive chef of his former restaurant, Harvest, and now his Chevy Chase eatery, The Sage Rabbit, in Lexington.
