Curious what’s the water for? When I cook mushrooms they seem to give up so much of their own liquid that I usually lose patience end up pouring it out rather than wait for it all to cook off.

I do Julia as for quiche a lot. Cooked down with butter, wind and flavor stuff, and simmer until pretty dry. Water would work of course,... You need some liquid to start...

I use a very very hot pan. Start with oil, add butter later so it doesn't burn. Add wine, garlic, parsley.....

“ You need some liquid to start...”

For what? Does it speed up the process?

I’m not disagreeing, genuinely trying to learn. When there’s mention of browning, I realize I’m doing something wrong. I’ve recently started preparing mushrooms to have on hand to add to my morning egg-veggie slop.

So here’s my typical M.O.: Quarter up a package of button or crimini mushrooms, put them in a pan with a pat of butter, watch the liquid release and turn into a never ending boil, pour off the bulk of the liquid, watch the mushrooms still not dry out and brown, give up and put it in the fridge. So basically it’s cooked down and slightly buttery, but no chance of flavor development.

By the way, I used to dislike mushrooms, then tolerated them, and only relatively recently started actually enjoying them. Hence being clueless.

How poetic of auto-correct...butter and wind.

I've been using Martha Rose Shulman's Mushroom Ragoût recipe. HERE...comes up elsewhere in a search.

The recipe first sweats a couple shallots or an onion for moisture. Wine, garlic, I used parsley and a pinch of thyme. I had a big tray of portobellos delivered from Baldor...for stuffing and a few for the freezer. Too many I needed to use up. Ragoût to the rescue. I always have a good pantry selection of wild dried mushrooms so that adds lots of flavor. Made close to a dozen 1/2 pints for the freezer. Flat packed in quart zip-locks you could just break off a chunk If making a bigger batch.

1/4 cup of water isn't that much so might be worth a try.

My batch was so good it is long gone. Soups, risotto, lasagna layer, etc.

No memory if I added the flour, but probably not.

I start with minced onions and butter/olive oil, and when they are translucent, I add sliced mushrooms. When those are almost done, I add thyme, salt, and black pepper, and cook a bit more. Then I add white wine, usually Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio, depending on what I have on had at the time. I never heard of adding water.

I got my method from the Frugal Gourmet back in the 1990s..

I start like Lars, with butter and olive oil, onions and mushrooms. I add fresh thyme, salt and black pepper. And then I cook and cook and cook and cook and sometimes I actually get sauteed mushrooms and sometimes I get a watery, soggy mess.

I seldom use mushrooms other than in things like Mushroom Barley soup or on things like steak sandwiches because they are a pain and it takes forever to drive off the moisture just from the mushrooms themselves.

So how long does it take to cook these mushrooms when you add liquid, because 15 or 20 minutes sometimes does not get rid of the liquid from the mushrooms themselves when I'm cooking them.

Higher heat? (I cook on medium, kind of, but my Bosch cook top likes everything high, even the simmer burner doesn't simmer, it boils). Fewer mushrooms in the pan? (I usually use whatever is in the smallest container, maybe a couple of cups sliced) I dislike wine, detest beer and am not crazy about vinegar. Beef stock?

Annie

Looked this up on Alton Brown's website and here's the recipe:

https://altonbrown.com/recipes/sauteed-mushrooms-again/

Seems he's specifically referring to cremini mushrooms, so I wonder if it's only for that variety?

"Seems he's specifically referring to cremini mushrooms, so I wonder if it's only for that variety?"

Maybe for the flavor? I've never noticed a difference when cooking cremini or button mushrooms. However, as I recall, mushrooms do lose some water content as they mature. That's likely the reason portobellos have the most flavor followed by creminis, then buttons (the youngest of the 3).

A pound of mushrooms seems like a lot to cook at one time. I'm very happy with my own method, and I use them mainly in omelets. Sometimes I make them into a velouté sauce for chicken or vegetables, such as broccoli, or serve the sauce with rice or pasta.

FOAS, I do mushrooms when there's no specific recipe much like the others do. Depending on your mushrooms, temperature and pan, you may need more or less liquid. A goodly pat of butter could give enough. This is especially true for common white, cremini or oyster mushrooms. They seem to need some liquid to release their liquid. Other, firmer mushrooms, like enoki, less so. Maitakis seem to be in the middle.

So flavor. You're throwing a lot of it away. Crusty browned mushrooms are delicious, but I've only gotten there with a brush of oil and grilling them. However, when the mushrooms release all that liquid, a lot of the flavor is in it, and it merges with the seasoning, aromatics and wine that you may have added, as well as the fat, and fat carries flavor. The trick I learned from Julia is after they have released their liquid and are stating to get cooked, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is reabsorbed. They will shrink mightily through the whole process. When the liquid is mostly gone, if it's not already, sauté to reduce all the water away. At this point, they're highly flavorful, but not crusty. Fine with me. If you want browned, you could cook longer or maybe just at a higher heat, maybe in a dry pan.

You could also look at recipes from mushroom growers and councils. The recipes themselves may not be fab, but the techniques probably are, and they might have some good tricks.

I slice mushrooms, pour them in the pan with a little butter or oil, and salt, turn to medium heat (which is medium-high for most ranges), and do something else for 5 minutes, stir, do something else, etc. The liquid emerges and is cooked off leaving some flavor, the mushrooms dry off and brown. I’d say use more heat than you are used to.

John HU Liu

I have half a pound of crimini that need to be cooked tomorrow. think i'll make a risotto.
I'll cook the finely chopped mushrooms in a frypan to get rid of the excess moisture....then in my dutch oven brown the rice in a bit of butter and olive oil with a bit of chopped garlic, then add the rest of that bottle of sauvignon blanc, and when that has absorbed start adding chicken broth. I have some lovely "chicken jelly" I made last week. The n finish with maybe some chopped spinach and some grated parmesan!

I often add spinach to mushrooms that I sauté for omelets, but I omit the thyme and wine, as I want the spinach flavor to come through better. I add the spinach after the onions and mushroom are done cooking, and then I just wilt the spinach and evaporate the excess moisture. I love the combination of spinach and mushrooms.

Depends on what I'm making. Sometimes a slow start from dry till they start rendering their own liquid. Sometimes starting a bit faster with either fat or liquid added to the pan to start. Sometimes I par-bake big mushrooms to get them to give up their juice before finishing off for other. I make small vats of stewed mushrooms from raw, and jars of pickled mushrooms from raw. Sometimes the mushrooms are on their own, sometimes there are other aromatics cooked into the process.

Today happens to be sliced button mushrooms sweated out in bacon grease and a pinch of kosher salt till the liquid was goodly. Then heat killed and it set aside to cool a bit. Folded in with a saute of fennel bulb, leek, spring onions, and butter beans. Then into the oven for a wee bit till all is hot and married. Spiced up a bit southern style. Finished off with a dab of white gravy, well peppered.