2torial #0860:
Learn2 Appreciate Gourmet Mushrooms (continued)

Prepare mushrooms

If you'd like to cook gourmet mushrooms yourself, find a knowledgeable supplier who can both ensure his wares' quality and freshness and tell you about the characteristics of different species and how best to prepare them.

To find a supplier, talk to the produce manager at your local gourmet market, ask a chef for the name of his or her supplier, or contact a mycological (mushroom appreciation) society. Look in the phone book or type "mycological society" and your location into an Internet search engine.

Even if you're not personally preparing mushrooms, some knowledge about how they should be treated will help you appreciate a chef's artistry when you order them.

Storage. Most fresh mushrooms keep up to 5 to 7 days if refrigerated in a brown paper bag (shiitakes last longer--up to 2 weeks), but they lose a little texture and flavor every day. Cook them as soon as you can. Dried mushrooms keep for a year or more if stored in an airtight container in a dark place that's room temperature or slightly cooler. Some mushrooms are frozen, pickled, or canned, but many premium species lose their magic if preserved in these ways.

Washing. Mushrooms tend to be dirty. Clean them gently by brushing the dirt off every surface with a brush (like a soft toothbrush) or a kitchen towel, or, if you can't get the dirt off otherwise, rinsing under cold running water. Don't let them sit in water, however, or they'll become waterlogged; pat them dry promptly if they get wet.

Cooking. Always cook mushrooms thoroughly. Humans can't fully digest them if they aren't cooked. While this indigestibility isn't dangerous, some people may experience stomach upset from eating uncooked edible mushrooms. Besides, cooking really brings out their flavors.

Perhaps the best way to cook any fresh mushrooms is to saute them slowly in butter (possibly with onions), letting the mushrooms' liquids bubble out and form a rich, savory sauce. Eat them as is, or add them and their cooking liquid to dishes containing eggs, wine, cream, chicken, pasta, pork, veal, or smoked meats.

Reconstitute dried mushrooms by soaking them in warm water (about 100F or 38C) for about 20 to 30 minutes, then use them and their soaking liquid in soups and sauces. Some reconstituted dried mushrooms, like morels, can be substituted for fresh in cooked dishes. The stems of most mushrooms tend to be fibrous, so are also best used in stews, stocks, and other slow-cooked dishes. You can remove the cooked stems, or chop them finely and return them to the dish as appropriate.