Taming wild mushrooms

Food Network Kitchens

Published January 11, 2006 at midnight

Text size  

• 0 Comments
• Email
• Print

Fungi, anyone? Wild mushrooms are becoming more and more available these days, whether fresh or dried.

Fresh mushrooms (and there's a whole world of them out there, from the earthy, funky porcini to the woodsy morel to the mellow lobster mushroom) keep for about a week in a paper bag in the fridge.

Don't wash them until you're ready to use them, and if you're going to cook them dry, like grilling, broiling, or sauteing, wash them as little as possible; a quick swipe with a damp paper towel is all that's needed.

Mushrooms, garlic and thyme are a great (and classic) flavor combination, and finely chopped mushrooms gently cooked in butter make excellent stuffings for vegetables and meat.

Dried mushrooms require a first step of soaking - that is, reconstituting - in hot water. And though reconstituted dry mushrooms don't have the unique texture of fresh, the major reward is the mushroom broth - once you soak the mushrooms in hot water for about 20 to 30 minutes, you'll be left with a rich, mushroom-y broth that's excellent (after a quick straining to remove any grit) for soups or sauces.

For more information, visit www.foodnetwork.com.

Featured

• Denver turns 150

  

  Read about the city's history, look at old photos and see a list of influential Denverites.

• Mount Crushmore

  

  Which four Broncos greats should be immortalized on Mount Crushmore? Vote here.

• Winter Escapes

  

  Your insider’s guide to the copious joys of the coolest season.

• Rocky Multimedia

  

  The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.

• Weekend plans?

  

  Figure out things to do this weekend with the help of our entertainment calendar.

• Bronco Dean's rant

  

  Listen to Bronco Dean's pregame rant on the Raiders.

• Season To Share

  

  The Post-News Season To Share campaign provides grants to area nonprofits.

• The Rocky @ 150 Years

  

  The Rocky was there when Colorado became a state in 1876. Read our coverage.

• A Dozen on Denver

  

  And the winner is... Robert Ziegler! See the whole fiction series by clicking here.