Mycelab capsules are not the only way to access mushroom medicine. One of our favorite ways to eat mushrooms is to cook them!
Cooking with mushrooms can seem intimidating to some. Mushrooms are so foreign! Or maybe some of us just aren't used to incorporating mushrooms into our dishes. We know some people aren't fans of mushrooms (we don't take it personally). For myco-phobes, we invite you to give mushrooms another chance!
Introducing new and nutritious foods into our diet is one of the best things we can do for our gut and overall health. It's a bit like sudoku for our brain: it keeps us alert.
Sometimes accepting something new requires understanding it deeply to make it acceptable.
For those who have never cooked with mushrooms and for those who love mushrooms for breakfast, lunch and dinner, here are some important tips on how to cook with mushrooms.
#1 Buy organic
If it's possible for you! Mushrooms have recently appeared on the list of products with a low pesticide load. If buying organic products isn't possible for you, don't worry: it's better to eat mushrooms than not at all!
However, understanding how mushrooms grow can help your decision in the organic section.
To grow, fungi break down their environment into their own building materials. If the substrate (the food material on which the mushroom grows) is rich in nutrients, the mushroom will be rich too. The use of fungicides destroys the complexity and integrity of microbial life in the substrate, resulting in less nutritious fungi. In addition, since mushrooms are real sponges, pesticides present in the air are easily absorbed by the final product!
Advice ! Do not wash your mushrooms directly with water. Since mushrooms have a high water retention capacity, washing them directly with water can lead to soup pan (i.e. excess water in the pan). Use a mushroom brush to dust them, or a damp cloth or paper towel to wipe down your organic mushrooms. Pro tip: if you don't have a mushroom or vegetable brush, a toothbrush works great!
#2 Always, always cook mushrooms
This point is non-negotiable! For two reasons. One - to unlock the good stuff. Two - to kill all bad things.
All of the mushrooms' nutrients and medicinal compounds are locked behind indigestible cell walls made of a fiber called chitin. If we don't cook our mushrooms, we can't access all of their nutritional benefits! Heating the mushrooms releases the beneficial compounds from the chitinous cell walls, allowing them to be absorbed by the body.
Additionally, raw mushrooms can contain dangerous pathogens and heat-sensitive toxins. Cooking the mushrooms eliminates this risk!
Advice ! Grill your mushrooms. One study looked at the difference in the nutritional profile of mushrooms after comparing four cooking methods: grilling, microwaving, frying and boiling. Grilling and microwaving were found to be the best method for retaining the nutritional composition and antioxidant capacity of mushrooms. We recommend grilling them for optimal flavor and texture!
Advice ! Use the hats. All parts of culinary mushrooms are edible, but the stems are generally more rubbery than the smooth caps. Cut the stems if you prefer less chew and more velvet.
Advice ! Don't crowd your mushrooms. Cook your mushrooms on their own (before adding other foods) and make sure each mushroom has a surface that touches the heat source for the best flavor profile and texture.
Advice ! Dry sauté the fresh mushrooms. You don't need to add oil if you sauté your mushrooms! Start by dry-sautéing them and allowing the water retained in the mushrooms to evaporate. Then add a delicious fat of your choice to the pan at the end.
#Flavor profiles and textures of our favorite culinary (and medicinal) mushrooms!
Button mushroom, cremini, portobello (Agaricus bisporus) : fleshy texture. Sweet, earthy flavor. Tends to take on the flavor of what it's cooked with! Ideal for stir-frying, stuffing, grilling and baking. Chop the stems to incorporate into any garnish.
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) : fleshy texture. Smoky and full-bodied taste. The flavor is strong enough to stand on its own. Shiitake Use the caps, the stems can be tough. Excellent in stir-fried dishes. Shiitake holds the umami taste or universal taste, a flavor that complements sweet, salty, sour and bitter.
Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) : dense, fleshy, stemless. Their texture allows them to absorb oils, butter and broths well. A good substitute for crab or meat cakes in Asian dishes, to slice into steaks and fry/grill. Mild lobster flavor. Little known in France but it's a real delight, we can't wait to see them arrive on our shelves!!
Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) : delicate flavor, light texture. Very tender and moist, silky when cooked. Gives texture to pasta. Buttery taste notes, soft texture. Tasty addition to soups, stews and pastas. Interesting as a meat substitute.
Enoki (Flammulina velutipes) : mild flavor, crunchy texture, ideal for stir-fries (to be added last). Unlike other mushrooms, they can be washed directly with water. Ideal for soups, stews, salads and noodle dishes.
Maitake (Grifola frondosa) : tasty, tasty mushrooms. It must be consumed young because as it matures it becomes tough and less tasty. Sauteed, grilled.
Chanterelle (Cantharellus) : a light, peppery flavor – chefs love cooking this delicate, bright mushroom! Excellent as an independent side dish. You can sauté it with ghee/butter and leeks, add it to risotto or pasta. You will find this mushroom at farmers' markets, because it is difficult to cultivate, or in the forest for Sunday picking enthusiasts .
Morels (Morchella) : this is a top-notch mushroom! Morels have a deep, earthy, nutty flavor and are meaty in texture. It also makes a great mushroom side dish, delicious when sautéed in butter or ghee. These mushrooms are expensive and are purchased in the wild from foragers and at farmers' markets. These are spring mushrooms and are difficult to grow.
Porcini mushrooms (Boletus eludis): excellent edible, its flesh is white and not blue, firm, with a mild hazelnut flavor and its smell is pleasant. To clean the mushrooms after harvesting, take a small brush and lightly brush them under water to remove all the soil and small impurities. A Bordeaux cep is perfectly cooked in a pan or roasted in the oven. Also remember to remove the foam under the cap which can become spongy during cooking and release a lot of water.
Get to your stove!