Why Restaurant Mushrooms Taste Better Than Home-Cooked Ones

Your home-cooked mushrooms don't taste as deeply savory and ultimately satisfying as the ones at your favorite restaurant for a few simple reasons, but mainly this one: there's too much fat in the pan. The structure of a mushroom is porous and full of mostly water, so coaxing it into a tender, umami-packed, golden-edged bite takes a bit of culinary prowess. Sautéed white wine mushrooms are a classic example. They are fried with fat, and then the pan is deglazed with a white wine worth drinking — another chef-approved tip. Because mushrooms have a sponge-like ability to absorb not only moisture but also fat, we often compensate at home by adding more oil or butter to the pan as the mushrooms soak it up. This isn't necessary.

Instead, restaurant chefs master the mighty mushroom's moisture content in other ways. Try a dry sauté. It works by cooking the mushrooms' natural broth as it evaporates, so for better browned mushrooms, hold the fat until the end. This allows the mushrooms to crisp up a bit in the pan, instead of taking on more oil than what's needed. You can also add a lid to steam the mushrooms before adding fat and then giving them a nice sear. Either way renders a meaty mushroom bite and works quite well for mushroom varieties with the most moisture content, like oyster and shiitake. But if soft, sauce-worthy spoonfuls are what you desire, try a wet approach. It may seem contradictory, but it works beautifully, too.

Adding about ¼ cup of water to a pound of sliced mushrooms allows them to steam and release their moisture quickly. It's a fine way to cook them evenly as well, so less stirring. For chefs, that means less time standing over a large pan, another tip to cooking large amounts perfectly. Likewise, adding water also prevents the mushrooms from absorbing too much oil because there simply isn't enough room left in their structure. After the steam bath, applying fat, like butter or olive oil, along with high heat renders silky soft, tender mushrooms that are sauce-worthy and perfect for spooning over the iconic steak Diane or mixing up for an earthier gravy. This method is ideal when you want mushrooms that are pliable enough to integrate into sauces yet rich enough to anchor a dish.

Another factor that contributes to their taste is that restaurant-worthy mushrooms are cleaned professionally. There are both dry school and wet school methods that work for this task. Brushing off mushrooms is great, but removing dirt is paramount. Besides, the FDA recommends washing all produce. Rinsing off mushrooms doesn't add enough moisture to make a difference. It's going to evaporate whether you employ a dry or wet cooking method to make those mushrooms fabulous. A quick soak to remove all the grime and then allowing them to dry makes the most sense, especially for wild-foraged mushrooms like morels, with their honeycomb shape that especially holds dirt well.