I was reading a 1970s cookbook from a library sale and it said to salt mushrooms at the start of cooking

Tried it on a duxelles and they released all their water immediately, turning into a soggy mess. Does anyone still follow that old rule, or do you always sear them dry first?

4 comments

4 Comments

alex_taylor102mo ago

Actually think the old rule has some merit if you're going for a specific texture. Salting early pulls out moisture so they can soak up butter or oil better later, creating a more intense flavor. That soggy mess might mean your heat was too low to evaporate the liquid fast enough. Maybe the 70s cooks were onto something we just forgot how to do right.

tarac162mo ago

Yeah, crank the heat next time and it works.

kai6571mo ago

Wait, does the type of mushroom matter here? Like those thick portobellos vs. thin shiitakes probably react totally different to early salting.

hernandez.brooke1mo ago

My friend tried this with some creminis and ended up with mushroom soup instead of a sear. She had the heat on medium so it just boiled them sad and gray. Had to crank it way up next time to save the dish. Ever get that weird boiled mushroom texture?