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Fried Butter Mushrooms in a Skillet
Instructions
To make fried butter mushrooms in a skillet, I pick young, non-wormy mushrooms (it is better not to use old ones, as they fall apart while boiling).
I clean the caps and scrape the stems, trimming the base slightly. Then I wash all the mushrooms thoroughly.
I cut the larger mushrooms into pieces (so they fry well later) and leave the small ones whole, then put them in a pot, add water (cold is best) and boil over medium heat until done (roughly about 20 minutes), salting the mushrooms as they cook.
I drain the boiled mushrooms in a colander and rinse them straight away (ideally several times, to wash off the mushroom slime), then leave them for 15–20 minutes (which is just enough time for the excess water to drain off).
After that I put the boiled mushrooms into a hot, definitely dry skillet and fry them, stirring now and then, for about 10 minutes so the excess moisture evaporates.
Next I add the butter to the mushrooms.
Then I scatter the onion (cut into half rings beforehand) over the top. I season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste and fry them for another 10–15 minutes, remembering to stir from time to time.
Once the mushrooms are well fried and golden, I take the pan off the heat. The fried butter mushrooms are ready. I transfer them to a plate and serve. A great accompaniment to fried butter mushrooms with onions is mashed potatoes or country-style potatoes.Bon appétit!
Tips
- 1
The 20-minute boil is essential – it is the safety "secret". Forest mushrooms can contain toxins, and boiling removes them.
- 2
Rinse after boiling – this washes off the mushroom slime. Butter mushrooms are especially slimy, and without rinsing they stay slippery in the finished dish.
- 3
A dry pan at the start evaporates the moisture. Add the butter straight away and the mushrooms will be "boiled" rather than "fried".
- 4
Butter is the "secret" to the aroma. In vegetable oil they taste bland; in butter they have a restaurant flavour. The same principle works with other kinds of fried mushrooms.
FAQ
How do you choose butter mushrooms? +
The ideal choice is young butter mushrooms (5–7 cm across the cap) with intact skin. Old ones are porous, with a dark underside. The cap should be convex rather than flat. The colour is brown or yellowish-brown, glossy because of the slime. Fresh ones are firm and free of worm holes – throw away any wormy mushrooms rather than trying to rescue them. Peel the skin off the caps, as it is bitter. Small mushrooms can be used whole; large ones should be cut in half or into quarters. Forest butter mushrooms taste better than cultivated ones. Drying the mushrooms for 20 minutes before cleaning makes the skin easier to remove.
What can replace butter mushrooms? +
Good alternatives are porcini (the "king" of fried mushrooms), birch boletes (firmer), aspen boletes (especially tender), honey fungus (crunchy) and russula (a budget option). Button mushrooms also work and need no foraging. Oyster mushrooms are an unusual choice, and chanterelles work well too (tender and bright). Forest mushrooms taste better than cultivated ones. Thaw frozen mushrooms in the fridge for 4–6 hours; soak dried mushrooms for 2–3 hours in cold water. For a more interesting result, use a mix of two or three kinds of forest mushroom.
How long do fried butter mushrooms keep? +
In the fridge, in a container with a lid, they keep for 2 days. Reheat them on the stovetop with a teaspoon of butter for 3–4 minutes, or in the microwave for 1–2 minutes. I do not recommend freezing the finished dish, as the texture suffers. On the second day the dish has time to settle and the flavour becomes richer. Do not leave the mushrooms at room temperature for longer than 2 hours, as they spoil quickly. For longer storage, freeze the boiled raw mushrooms (up to 6 months in the freezer) and then fry them following this recipe. It is best to cook just enough for one meal.
What do you serve butter mushrooms with? +
The classics are mashed potatoes or country-style potatoes. They are also good with boiled potatoes, with black or rye bread, and alongside fried meat or a steak as a mushroom side. They work with pasta as well, and with fresh herbs such as dill and parsley. They make a versatile mushroom side dish for main courses.
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