Mushroom Sauté - Tip of the Day

by Monika Bartyzel, Posted Sep 14th 2009 @ 9:00AM

Throwing mushrooms into a sauté pan usually requires a good dose of oil. But good news: There are ways to cut the fat without leaving half your dinner stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Sauteed mushrooms.
Photo: EraPhernalia Vintage, Flickr.

While a little oil is necessary when frying up some mushrooms, it doesn't have to be a river -- as long as you treat the fungus right. Mushrooms contain a lot of moisture, which can work to your advantage but needs a bit of coaxing.

The best way to get the vegetables to the water-release state without adding a lot of fat to the pan is letting them sit. Keep an eye on the pan to make sure that the mushrooms don't start to burn (which means not enough oil), and let the steam work its way up through the vegetables.

If you continually toss them, the oil will quickly get absorbed and you will need more. A little patience goes a long way as the moisture released from the mushrooms gets captured and helps create a slicker, nonstick surface.

What's your favorite mushroom technique?

Filed Under: Tip of the Day, Ingredients
Tags: mushroom tip, mushrooms, MushroomTip, sauteed mushrooms, SauteedMushrooms, sauteeing mushrooms, SauteeingMushrooms, vegetables