Cooking with exotic mushrooms ...

Cooking with exotic mushrooms can be exciting, but without a little knowledge it can be disappointing.  White or button and crimini mushrooms are pretty forgiving and work well in almost any application calling for the fungi; however, when you venture into the world of the more exotic varieties the resulting flavor can be bitter if you're not careful.

Here is the real key to cooking multiple varieties of mushrooms: Cook each variety separately.  They all have different cooking times and need to be treated individually.  Once they are all cooked, set them aside. You can quickly re-heat them all together in the same pan at the time of service. The result is a meal like no other.

Tonight's meal paired some exotic mushrooms with fresh pasta (of course I made the pasta) and grilled chicken breast.  You can make a great appetizer or vegetarian main course with just the mushrooms and pasta.  The salad was a celebration of summer with white wine poached pears, more mushrooms and Parmesan cheese over spinach.  What makes the salad is peeling the pears and sautéing the mushrooms.

Salad: Spinach with white wine poached pears,  sautéed mushrooms, and finished with a white wine vinaigrette and shaved Parmesan cheese. (Left)

Grilled Chicken with Pasta:  Lightly seasoned grilled chicken breast served with fresh pasta and a medley of seared exotic mushrooms.  (Right)







Let's talk a little about what mushrooms are out there and while availability can sometimes be challenging, never opt for   dried versions for any application other than maybe a soup.  There are over 10,000 varieties of mushroom, of which only about 4% are edible and have been identified as safe to eat.  1% will kill you, so don't go foraging about unless you are an expert or with one. There are probably about 20 that are more common and available in most parts of the country.

The following list includes those mushrooms that I really like to cook with.  This is based on flavor and coolness factor.  Come on, who doesn't want to tell their guest they are eating  hen-of-the-woods or blue oysters.  Here is my list. (I'll work on taking some photos and update the entry in the future): shiitake, white oyster, morel, chanterelle, hen-of-the-woods, black trumpet, blue oyster, and lobster.

You might have noticed that portabella, or portobello if you like, is missing from the list.  Actually no, portabella, as the Mushroom Council likes to call them, are simply big crimini mushrooms.  So they are up at the top with the button mushrooms.

Now that we have some favorites, at least my favorites, it's time to talk about preparation.  Please do not cook these amazing bits of culinary delight in any other manner than to sear them.  Take some time to rinse all of the "debris" off the mushrooms and cut about a 1/4" off the stem.  Cut out any damaged areas on the cap.  Cut the mushrooms into pieces, but try to preserve the character it has. I often just cut them in half through the cap and stem.

Place an adequately size sauté pan on high heat; the size is such that all of the mushrooms are in contact with the bottom of the pan. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil and butter or if available just clarified butter for each cup of cut mushrooms. Place the cut mushrooms in the pan, toss quickly to coat and season with a little salt.  Then don't touch it, let the heat and fat do its work on the mushrooms.  Caution: you have to be vigilant in your watch; cooked too long and they will be bitter or carbon.  Your goal is to cook them to where they just start to get a golden brown exterior.  You may have to toss them a few times to keep them from burning and that's fine.  Your efforts will be rewarded with flavors that rival some of the best steaks.

Beverages: The salad course was all about the pear's poaching liquid - Pinot Gris.  I used my last bottle of Whitestone Winery's 2010 Not Whitestone (refer to Whitestone review April 03, 2012).  For the main course we moved to a Flying Goat Cellars 2009 Pinot Noir - Garey Ranch Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley AVA.  I really like this wine.  It was first introduced to me in 2003 by one of my best friends and flight instructor who bought it for me somewhat as a joke when I was just a rookie pilot; has to do with flying, a goat, and Gary Larson's "The Far Side" cartoon.

For those who are wondering why this is funny, it's a pilot thing.  They are flying in the clouds, the goat is standing on a mountain, the mountain they are about to run into. Spatial disorientation.

Wine Suggestions -
Salad: The pears were poached in a Pinot Grisso another bottle would be a nice match.  You could also go with a Gewurztraminer or Viognier for a little more floral note.  The strength of the pears and earthiness of the mushrooms would allow a German style white Riesling.  Just stay away from anything that has residual sugar; meaning sugar sweet or dessert wines. You could go with a red if you poach your pears in the same.
Entrée: The trick here is to complement the rich and earthy flavor of the mushrooms without losing the chicken.  Don't worry about the pasta as it is neutral for pairing purposes.  You could carry over the Pinot Gris or Viognier from the salad; a Chardonnay would also complement nicely.  The chicken was grilled, so it can hold up to a medium to medium plus bodied red.  For me this meal calls for a Burgundy Red - Pinot Noir.  An Australian Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon would also be a nice match. Stay away from a Zinfindel or Merlot as they will over power the meal's unique flavors.