Roasting mushrooms is a quick and easy way to turn ordinary ingredients into something special. They can be served with a bowl of rice or quinoa for a filling meal.

The key to a perfect roasted mushroom is to roast the mushrooms in a single layer so that they don’t steam each other during cooking. Drain off any liquid that accumulates on the pan after a few minutes. This will dramatically cut down on the roasting time and make for a more caramelized, crispy result.

Roasting

Roasting is a great way to bring out all of the meaty, deeply complex flavors in mushrooms. However, the high heat can also cause the mushrooms to emit a lot of moisture. This can lead to soggy-textured mushrooms, which makes them hard to brown.

The best way to avoid soggy-textured mushrooms is to pre-cook them before roasting. Then, you can avoid the water release issue altogether!

If you’re using fresh mushrooms, you’ll want to look for firm, pliable ones that don’t have dark spots or bruises. If they’re shriveled and dried out, you’ll need to cook them further or use a different cooking method.

Mushrooms are a versatile ingredient that can be used as an appetizer, side dish or light vegetarian main. They’re also delicious as a topping for grilled meat, potatoes and salads.

Steaming

Steaming is a method of cooking that places foods above, not in, water that is boiling or hot enough to produce steam that cooks the food with a moist hot air. This helps food retain its natural flavor, color, shape and nutritious value better than when boiled or simmered in water.

The technique is a staple in Asian cuisine and has been around for thousands of years. It has also become a common cooking technique in many other cultures.

In countries where fires are not common and fuels for cooking are limited, steaming allowed people to use a relatively small amount of liquid to cook a lot of food. This helped people make the most of their food resources and avoid wasting excess energy.

Grilling

Grilling is a great way to intensify the flavors of mushrooms. When you surround them with moist heat, they collapse their air spaces and shed moisture, bringing out a concentrated sweetness.

Larger mushrooms are best cooked directly over a hot, two-level grill (cover if using gas), flipping every couple of minutes until well browned on all sides. Medium to small mushrooms, which will shrink during cooking, can be threaded onto skewers for easy handling.

Mushrooms are a rich source of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. They’re also highly versatile and pair well with nearly any food.

Smoking

Smoking food adds a deep, savory flavor to a wide range of dishes. Using a stovetop smoker can be an inexpensive way to enjoy the benefits of smoking at home.

One of the most important aspects of smoke flavor is control of combustion. This is far more important than the species of wood you use.

Another aspect is the amount of oxygen that the fire is getting as it goes through stages of dehydration and gasification, which are a key step in producing smoke. When the fuel is starving for oxygen, it smolders and produces white smoke.

To control oxygen, experiment with a variety of containers for your wood chips or pellets. A foil packet with holes punched in it works well, or you can make a smoke bomb like this (more details elsewhere).