Sure, they technically are grown from fungus, but that’s no reason to shy away from a 'shroom! Mushrooms are crazy versatile — set aside their many nutritional benefits (they’re immune-boosting, full of antioxidants, and packed with Vitamin D), the real magic is in their flavor. Eat them as a filling topping on salads and pizza. Serve them stuffed, sliced, grilled or fried on their own. Now a new book Cooking With Mushrooms: A Fungi Lover's Guide to the World's Most Versatile, Flavorful, Health-Boosting Ingredients by Andrea Gentl will have you eating them every night of the week. The recipes are *that* good. Here are three of our favorite from the book, plus a slew of tried-and-true mushroom recipes from our team and friends in the 'Co.
Cooking With Mushrooms: A Fungi Lover's Guide to the World's Most Versatile, Flavorful, Health-Boosting Ingredients
MUSHROOM FRITTATA
Excerpted from Cooking With Mushrooms: A Fungi Lover's Guide to the World's Most Versatile, Flavorful, Health-Boosting Ingredients by Andrea Gentl. Artisan Books © 2022.
SERVES 6 TO 8
- 1 pound (455 g) fresh mushrooms, such as shiitake, oysters, maitake, or cremini
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 fresh oregano sprigs, leaves only
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 large egg
- 1¼ cups (125 g) finely grated pecorino cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon, preferably organic
- Fragrant fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, and oregano, for garnish
My grandmother, an American-born Puglian, cooked in the manner of cucina povera, which she learned from her mother. This included a ton of vegetables, herbs, spicy dried chiles, and eggs. Frittatas made their way to our table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, sometimes herby one with oregano and mint, or a pile of leftover pasta, other times filled with slow-cooked, delightfully mushy broccoli rabe, and often a mushroom frittata, usually made with cremini. Like a combination of shiitake and maitake. The flavor is extraordinary—rich, earthy, and a little meaty without any heaviness. The key to this recipe, as with many Puglian dishes, is a nice amount of flavorful olive oil and some sharp, salty pecorino.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- If using cremini or shiitake mushrooms, thinly slice with a mandoline or sharp knife. If using maitake or oyster, gently tear into small pieces.
- In a 10-inch (25 cm) nonstick ovenproof lidded skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat.When it starts to foam, add the mushrooms and oregano leaves and cook until soft and any liquid has been released, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup (100 g) of the pecorino, and the salt.
- Add the egg mixture to the pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining ¼ cup (25 g) cheese,the lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the bottom starts to brown, 5 to 10minutes. (Check the eggs by lifting the bottom with a spatula.) Once the bottom starts to brown, transfer the pan to the oven, uncovered.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then check to see if the top is puffing up. Cook a few minutes longer if not. The frittata is done when it starts to brown around the edges and a little bit on the top.Look for the oil bubbling up around the sides. This is totally normal. Once you remove the frittata from the oven to cool, the oil will get absorbed into the eggs, making it yummy and so delicious.
- Serve the frittata warm or at room temperature, garnished with fresh herbs.
Cooking With Mushrooms: A Fungi Lover's Guide to the World's Most Versatile, Flavorful, Health-Boosting Ingredients
SALT AND PEPPER BRICK MUSHROOMS
Excerpted from Cooking With Mushrooms: A Fungi Lover's Guide to the World's Most Versatile, Flavorful, Health-Boosting Ingredients by Andrea Gentl. Artisan Books © 2022.
SERVES 4
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ pounds (680 g) fresh mushrooms, such as oyster, maitake, lion’s mane, or portobello (one large piece or several medium pieces)
- 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed if salt-packed
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
In this vegetarian riff on the classic brick chicken, mushrooms are simply cooked with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, with capers added for zing. I have used oyster, maitake, and lion’s mane—all are delicious. Each variety has a different moisture content and will release varying amounts of moisture as the mushrooms cook. I don’t keep bricks in my kitchen, but a second cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven gets the job done. The weight of the second pan compresses the mushrooms and allows a nice crunchy crust to form while keeping them juicy and tender on the inside. Once you do this a couple of times, you might start keeping bricks in your kitchen!
- In a small bowl, combine the salt and pepper.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat until it begins to shimmer.
- Place the mushrooms in the skillet and sprinkle with half the salt and pepper mixture and half the capers.
- Cover the mushrooms with a sheet of foil, folding it into a round to cover the mushrooms and fit the contours of the skillet.
- Place a Dutch oven or another cast-iron skillet the same size as the first one on top of the foil. With two kitchen towels or oven mitts, press down firmly on the skillet to flatten the mushrooms beneath it; the mushrooms will release moisture as they cook. Press intermittently until a nice crust has formed, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Flip the mushrooms over, sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper mixture and capers, and cook the otherside the same way, weighting and pressing intermittently for about 10 minutes longer.
- Remove from the heat and serve hot, with lemon wedges for squeezing.
Cooking With Mushrooms: A Fungi Lover's Guide to the World's Most Versatile, Flavorful, Health-Boosting Ingredients
Everyday Mushroom Broth
Excerpted from Cooking With Mushrooms: A Fungi Lover's Guide to the World's Most Versatile, Flavorful, Health-Boosting Ingredients by Andrea Gentl. Artisan Books © 2022.
MAKES 10 CUPS (ABOUT 2.4L)
- 1½ pounds (680 g) mixed fresh shiitake and cremini mushrooms
- 5 quarts (4.7 L) water, preferably filtered
- Himalayan pink salt (optional)
This delicious multipurpose broth is made from commonly available mushrooms and no additional aromatics. Sip on it all day or use it for any of the recipes that call for broth. After cooking and steeping, the liquid becomes a beautiful chestnut brown, with a deep earthy flavor. I make this broth without adding salt; add it later to taste, if desired.
- Trim and slice the shiitakes and quarter the creminis.
- In an 8- to 12-quart (7.6 to 11.3 L) stockpot, combine the mushrooms and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and continue to boil for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the heat and cook at a bare simmer for 1 hour. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 3 hours, until completely cool. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the mushrooms (discard, or compost, the mushrooms). If you plan to sip the broth, add salt to taste. If you will be using it later for cooking, skip the salt.
- Transfer the broth to glass jars for storage. If freezing, leave ¾ inch(2cm) of free space at the top of the jar for expansion. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Baldacci Vineyards
Mushroom Risotto
We love this recipe from our friends at Baldacci Vineyards too. Pair it with their fruity and dry sparkling after you cook with it!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup arborio or carnaroli rice
- 2-3 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup
- 2 oz prosciutto, sliced and diced
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced or diced
- 1 small yellow or white onion, diced or minced•3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 oz parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 oz fontina cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Sauté mushrooms in butter until cooked thoroughly and set aside.
- Over low heat, add a tablespoon (or two) of olive oil, and cook onion until translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for another minute
- Turn up heat, add rice and cook for a minute or two. Be sure to stir with a spatula, so the garlic doesn't burn.
- Add sparkling wine.
- Add a cup or so of chicken stock to cover the rice. Stir regularly. When stock comes to a boil, turn heat down to low and let simmer. Continue to monitor level of stock and texture of rice. Add stock as needed.
- When rice is close to finished, add mushrooms and prosciutto. About a minute before risotto is done, stir in cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Top with a little parmesan, if you like.
- Plate it and serve it. Enjoy!
Half Baked Harvest
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Brit + Co
This recipe's loaded with a spinach-artichoke blend that gets blitzed in your food processor before being dolloped onto each mushroom cap.
Hungry Girl por Vida
Lentil Mushroom Burgers
If you’ve wrinkled your nose at veggie burgers before, it’s because you haven’t had this version. The patties are loaded with earthy lentils, hunky mushrooms, sweet sun-dried tomatoes and onions for a combo so good you’ll forget to ask, “Where’s the beef?”.
Closet Cooking
Traditional cream of mushroom soup is bowl-lickin’ good on its own, but using sweet brie to creamify your soup? Well that’s just genius.
How Sweet Eats
Mushrooms and cheese on bread sounds simple enough, but Dijon mustard aioli adds plenty of complex flavor to take an easy lunch over the top.
The Kitchn
If we had our way, risotto would easily make the top 10 list of comfort foods. This easy to make mushroom-and-onion-packed version is the ultimate in warm and cozy dinners.
Gimme Some Oven
Skip the takeout and make it at home. Sweet ginger sauce is the perfect complement to a beefy stir-fry, loaded with browned mushrooms and healthy kale.
Eat, Live, Run
Not enough time to whip up an elaborate dinner? Creamy quesadillas take just minutes and have all the satisfying flavor you need.
Food52
This hearty pie (try it out instead of a pizza!) has a ton of earthy, herby and oniony flavors. Serve it as an easy dinner party dish that will really impress your guests.
Two Peas and Their Pod
You get two benefits from this rich and delicious dish. Firstly, you get aromatic mushrooms loaded with balsamic vinegar, garlic and olive oil. Then, you get an arm workout from whisking the polenta!
Oh She Glows
Skip the carbs and use a large-and-in-charge portobello cap for your pizza crust. Load caps with cheese and supreme toppings for all the pizza flavor you love in fork-and-knife form.
The Little Kitchen
This appetizer is stuffed on stuffed on stuffed. First, bacon, blue cheese and cheddar are all mixed together in one creamy, smokey, salty blend. Then, it’s all stuffed into mushroom caps, which are in turn stuffed into crispy phyllo wraps.
Nifty Mom
Call this app a one-pop stop. In one bite, get all the flavors of spicy sausage, sweet cream cheese, onion and earthy mushroom caps.
Smitten Kitchen
Crunchy hazelnuts, peppery arugula and sharp cheese are awesome additions to this warm salad, but the roasted mushrooms are the real star!
Brit + Co
This flavorful dish relies on a handful of shortcut ingredients, like dry onion soup mix. We adapted ours from Alyssa Rivers of The Recipe Critic, into an Instant Pot version.
Food52
Are you a fan of spinach dip? Then you’ll love this rich side, baked with crimini mushrooms, white wine and Parmesan cheese.
How Sweet Eats
Who said fries belonged to the potato? Crisp up slivers of portobello for a just-as-satisfying fry. The sweet balsamic drizzle and salty cheese dip paired with your crispy shrooms is mind blowing.
Simply Delicious
The undeniable earthy flavor of mushrooms is amped up when paired with beef, like in this comforting take on a pot pie. Here’s a tip: Make individual portions in ramekins and freeze the leftovers for a day when you’re not up for cooking.
Jessica Burns
You can prep this brunch dish the night before, and bake in the morning. Strata, which is basically a breakfast bread pudding, gets its flavor from eggs, sausage, mushrooms, cheese and sourdough bread. Refrigerate it overnight, then pop it in the oven when you wake up!
Brit + Co
These mushroom burgers are sure to delight vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. In fact, most of our office preferred these Mushroom Burgers to normal burgers no matter what their dietary preference. Eat them on their own or with a healthy toasted wheat english muffin as bun.
She Wears Many Hats
Here’s one souped up grilled cheese. Replace cheddar with creamy gouda for a whole lotta good-a, then stuff your sandwich with caramelized onions and mushrooms to bring it all home.
Pip and Eddy
Bet ya never thought of mushrooms as game-day finger food. Made in a slow cooker with all the delicious herby and garlicy flavors of Ranch dressing, warmed up caps will get eaten up in no time.
Julia's Album
If you haven’t figured it out by now, sweet sun-dried tomatoes are the ultimate pairing for earthy mushrooms. Let them play together in this tasty, garlic-infused pasta.
The Hopeless Housewife
This homemade hummus has a ton of earthy flavors from mushrooms, which gets lightened up with a splash of lemon. Looking for a shortcut? Blend roasted mushrooms with store-bought hummus for a quick version of this recipe.
BS in the Kitchen
You’ve just found the holy grail of breakfast sandwiches. Eggs and ham are taken to new heights with a topping of garlicky sauteed shrooms.
Drizzle and Dip
Let’s call these stuffed phyllo bites what they are — decadent. Stuffed with oniony leeks, mushrooms and, of course, cheese, they’re the ultimate veggie snack.
Healthy Delicious
Mushrooms are on a roll… literally with these savory pinwheels, which can be subbed in for your breakfast cinnamon roll or eaten for a quick and easy dinner.
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This post has been updated.