Your roasted mushrooms have called. They are begging you to stop throwing away their beautiful meaty liquids!!
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 StarTalk | 2022-12-13 01:34:55 |  6,951,452 Views |
We have more in common with mushrooms than you think…
It’s not often that I disagree with something Kenji writes let alone take offense but in an otherwise lovely post about roasting fall vegetables he says “Let’s face it: raw mushrooms are bland.” This strikes me as a bit extreme. I think reasonable people can disagree that raw mushrooms have a delicate flavor one that requires an exceptionally nuanced palate to fully appreciate (I say this as a reformed but long-term smoker). I have to admit: I like mushrooms no matter what. Raw? Yes. Undercooked? Sure. Smooth? Why not? I can even remember enjoying a slimy mushroom or two.
And yet I have no quibbles with the recipe and the end product is excellent. These roasted mushrooms are anything but bland: mushrooms retain a lot of water due to their spongy nature and by diligently boiling that water away their earthy flavor is concentrated. The absence of excess liquid also ensures that the final roasted mushrooms quickly develop an evenly browned crust while remaining juicy on the inside. That is they come out as advertised but without all the qualities that have kept legions of (picky) eaters from enjoying flavorful mushrooms. Have you tried the recipe? No? Then go ahead and do it; you won’t regret it.
If you’re already familiar with it don’t skip one of the most miraculous steps: draining and reserving the liquid that the sliced mushrooms exude in the oven. That liquid drained to aid browning is an unexpectedly delicious byproduct of the roasting process an elixir made from salt pepper olive oil and what can only be described as “mushroom juice.”
