Mushrooms isn’t the problem — the way it’s used is

The pan is hot, the oil is shimmering, and mushrooms are about to do that thing where they go from plump to pale and somehow… wet. Someone in the kitchen mutters, “of course! please provide the text you would like translated.” and you can feel the same tired misunderstanding lurking behind the joke: mushrooms aren’t failing you, your method is.

Because when mushrooms are treated like a vegetable you “quick-sauté until soft”, they punish you with squeaks, sludge, and a grey kind of disappointment. When they’re treated like what they are - a sponge full of water and flavour - they turn into something properly savoury, almost meaty, and worth building a meal around.

You can usually tell which approach you’re in by the sound. A pan that hisses and keeps hissing is doing the right work. A pan that suddenly simmers is quietly drowning.

The real problem: you’re trying to brown water

Mushrooms hold a lot of moisture. That’s not a character flaw; it’s their entire deal. When you tip them into a pan with too little heat, too many at once, or too much fat too early, the water releases faster than it can evaporate and your “fry” becomes a steam.

And steaming mushrooms isn’t inherently bad. It’s just not what most people are hoping for when they want deep colour, crisp edges, and that roasted, nutty richness. Browning needs dryness and contact. If the pan is full of liquid, the mushrooms can’t climb above 100°C, so they never truly toast.

The fix isn’t a secret ingredient. It’s a sequence.

The “dry first, fat later” method (the one that changes everything)

This is the small, slightly counterintuitive routine that makes mushrooms behave. You start by driving off water on purpose, then you add fat once the pan is no longer fighting you.

1. Use a wide pan and preheat it properly. Medium-high is your friend; you want steady heat, not panic.
2. Add mushrooms to a dry pan first (no oil, no butter). Spread them out. It’ll look wrong for two minutes and then it won’t.
3. Salt lightly once they start releasing liquid. Not at the start - you’re not trying to pull water out before heat is ready to evaporate it.
4. Let the water cook off until you hear sizzling again. This is the moment most people interrupt. Don’t.
5. Only now add fat (butter, olive oil, or both). The mushrooms will absorb it and start browning instead of boiling.
6. Finish with flavour at the end. Garlic, thyme, soy, miso, a splash of wine - all better once the mushrooms have colour.

The payoff is immediate. They shrink less dramatically, they pick up a bronzed edge, and the pan smells like dinner rather than damp forest.

The common mistakes that make mushrooms sad

Most “mushroom problems” are really pacing problems. Too much going on at once, not enough patience in the dry stage, and a pan that’s asked to do ten things.

Here’s what typically derails it:

• Crowding the pan. If mushrooms overlap, you’re steaming. Cook in batches if you want browning.
• Starting with butter. Butter is lovely, but its water content slows browning early on. Add it after the liquid phase.
• Low heat out of fear. Mushrooms can take heat. They need it. The enemy is scorched garlic, not hot mushrooms.
• Constant stirring. Give them contact time. Stir occasionally, not nervously.
• Washing and leaving them wet. Rinse if you must, but dry them well. A damp mushroom is a head start on soup.

Let’s be honest: almost everyone makes at least two of these at the same time when they’re hungry. That’s why mushrooms get blamed.

Three ways to use mushrooms so they taste like you meant it

Once you’ve got the basic behaviour right, mushrooms become flexible. You can steer them towards crisp, juicy, or silky - but you choose, rather than the pan choosing for you.

1) Crispy-edged mushrooms for toast, eggs, and bowls

Cook them with the dry-first method, then push heat a little higher at the end. Finish with butter and black pepper. A squeeze of lemon wakes up the savoury notes without making them taste “healthy”.

2) Juicy mushrooms for pasta and gravy

Brown them properly first, then deglaze with wine or stock. Add a knob of butter and let it reduce into a glossy sauce. The key is that browning happens before liquid returns.

3) Silky mushrooms for soups and risotto

Steaming is fine here - but do it deliberately. Sweat onions, add mushrooms with a pinch of salt, cover briefly to soften, then uncover to cook off excess moisture. You get tenderness without the watery, half-cooked feel.

Different result, same respect for water and timing.

A small habit that makes mushrooms reliable

The most useful shift is to stop expecting mushrooms to behave like courgettes or peppers. They’re closer to a sponge than a sliceable vegetable, and they reward you when you treat their moisture like a stage to manage, not an inconvenience to deny.

Once you’ve felt that moment - when the pan goes from simmer to sizzle again, and the mushrooms finally start to bronze - it’s hard to go back. Not because you’ve become a better cook. Because you’ve stopped asking the pan to do the impossible.

Move	What it does	Why it matters
Dry pan first	Drives off water fast	Lets mushrooms brown instead of steam
Don’t crowd	Keeps heat and evaporation high	Prevents grey, soggy results
Fat after the liquid phase	Coats and flavours browned surfaces	Better colour, better taste, less grease

FAQ:

• Are mushrooms supposed to be washed or wiped? Either is fine. If you wash, do it quickly and dry them well; lingering surface water makes the pan work harder.
• Why did my mushrooms soak up all the oil? They’re porous. Add fat after the water has cooked off; they’ll absorb less and brown more.
• Can I cook mushrooms from frozen? Yes, but expect more moisture. Use high heat, a wide pan, and let the water evaporate fully before adding fat.
• What’s the fastest way to get flavour into mushrooms? Brown them first, then finish with a salty, savoury hit like soy sauce, miso, or parmesan. Flavour sticks better to browned surfaces.
• Do I really need high heat? You need enough heat to evaporate water faster than it accumulates. Medium-high in a wide pan usually does it; low heat almost always steams.