If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of portabella mushrooms. After all, they’re one of the “fancy” mushrooms used to accent restaurant dishes. I’ve heard many tell me they’d love to make them at home, but have no idea how. Good news - preparing them will be the easiest of the dinner fare.

First, let’s take a look at what portabella mushrooms really are - they’re matured crimini mushrooms (the little brown mushrooms commonly found by the white ones in the produce department). They’re commonly sold as “caps” in standard grocery stores (which means they’re void of stems), but if you can find them full with stem, all the better, because the stem packs some nice flavor of its own.

Don’t let the fact that they’re a fungus (not an actual vegetable) fool you - these babies pack almost no fat, zero cholesterol, low carbs, low sodium and a decent amount of protein. It’s no wonder many call them a meat substituted, and I concur wholeheartedly.

Storage:
The key to keeping them ready to eat is the storage. You should wash portabella mushrooms (or caps) with cool water as soon as you bring them home, drying them completely. Many resources recommend storing them in brown paper bags. Most of us don’t have a stock of paper bags though (most stores don’t offer paper anymore, and why spend money on lunch bags?).The key really is to keep them in a cool, dark place. I’ve found think paper towels (I use VIVA because I clean with them as well) do just fine. I line a glass bowl with towels, then stack the caps in layers, with a towel between each, and be sure to cover the top, “wrapping” them to avoid excessive light from reaching them. This keeps them nice and dry for 5-6 days.You’ll know your mushrooms are going bad when they start to get slimy - so as long as they haven’t changed much color and are smooth and dry to the touch, they should be fine to prepare and eat.

Quick Prep:
What I love about using portabella caps as a main course is that they’re quick and easy to prepare, pack a good amount of flavor, and there are endless possibilities in their preparation. By quick, I’m talking from fridge to table in less than 15 minutes.

On a lazy night I’ll simply toss them with some olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper, then fry them on the stove, or roast them in the oven. On a creative night I’ll dress them up with spices, vinegar or cheese.

Portabella mushrooms are great fried in a skillet, roasted in an oven, and even broiled. The trick is to marinate them in something that will help them absorb flavor. And while you can dice and sautee them, letting them set in the marinade for a bit ahead of time will bring out even more flavor. Of course, you don’t want to over cook them, because one of the tasty benefits is the texture, and once they’ve been cooked too soft, well, you’ve had canned mushrooms before…

In the coming weeks I’ll be posting up some recipes for these tasty, earthy beings, used as main courses or sides. You’ll be surprised at just how quickly and easily you can prepare a gourmet dish for next to nothing. 

Posted Saturday, February 3rd, 2007 at 3:08 pm EST
Read more in Tips

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