Mushroom

About

This category covers mushrooms such as button, morel, porcini, and chanterelle, though not truffles, which are treated separately. Nearly all mushrooms share a character-defining compound called 1-octen-3-one. Texture varies considerably between varieties and influences cooking method more than it influences flavor. Individual mushrooms can carry notes of almond, shellfish, meat, anise, garlic, carrot, or even decay, but most pair well with the same flavors that reinforce their own savoriness, such as garlic, bacon, and Parmesan.

Pairs well with mushroom

• EaPotatoA good wild mushroom soup benefits from mixing several types of fungi to build layered flavor, the way a bouillabaisse uses several fish.
• SuEggThe giant puffball mushroom has a particularly strong mushroom flavor; sliced, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, and fried, it makes mushroom…
• FrTomatoTomatoes and mushrooms commonly appear together alongside sausage, bacon and eggs in a full English breakfast, but they don't naturally…
• SuGarlicGarlic intensifies the flavor of almost any mushroom, but has a special affinity with shiitake, which contain lenthionine -- a compound…
• MeBeefMushrooms are a classic steakhouse garnish for beef, and the two are also combined in beef stroganoff and in pies with a rich,…
• BeMintIn Tuscany, porcini mushrooms are often sold and served alongside nepitella (Calamintha nepetha), an herb with a woody flavor similar to…
• MaShellfishThe mild sweetness of scallops contrasts well with the deep, earthy intensity of cooked mushrooms, whether porcini or roasted cremini.
• MePorkBoletus edulis, better known by the Italian name porcini ("little pigs") for the coarse, bristly look of its stalks, shares pork's need to…
• GrAniseTarragon's fresh, grassy anise note suits mushrooms of all kinds and pairs naturally with cream, a stroganoff-style dish of sautéed…
• MeChickenSome mushrooms (hen of the woods, chicken of the woods) are even named for a resemblance to chicken.
• BrBaconDried morels carry a smoky, meaty flavor with a hint of bacon, and their complex, wrinkled texture takes especially well to bacon's salty…
• FfHoneyThe honey fungus (Armillaria mellea) is named for its honey-colored cap, not its flavor.
• ChHard CheeseMushrooms contain no salt of their own, so they need salty ingredients to bring out their flavor fully.
• SuOnionDuxelles, finely chopped mushroom and shallot or onion, slowly sautéed in butter in roughly a seven-to-one ratio by weight, until the…
• MaOily FishMushroom's earthy, musty character suits freshwater oily fish well, finely chopped shiitake pairs nicely with salmon, which also appears…
• SpPeppercorn"Peppery" is a common flavor descriptor for mushrooms, though not always a compliment.
• SuCornHuitlacoche, an edible fungus also called "corn smut," infects corn kernels after heavy rain, causing them to swell, darken and burst from…
• MuMustardMushrooms serve as an umami-rich substitute for beef in stroganoff, though extra nutmeg and paprika are often added to compensate for the…
• ChGoat CheeseThe common button mushroom, when allowed to mature fully into a large, open-capped portobella, develops a much deeper flavor that pairs…
• GrParsleyParsley's grassy freshness balances the earthy richness of mushrooms sautéed in butter or olive oil, sometimes with garlic; its damp,…
• WoWalnutBoth have a woody character: mushrooms lean toward the heavy, damp woodiness of a forest floor, walnuts toward the drier, sweeter scent of…
• CrPruneDiced prunes stirred into a mushroom duxelles add extra richness and sweetness to the classic minced-mushroom preparation.
• GrBuckwheatBuckwheat's grainy texture complements the dense, salty flavor of dried mushrooms such as shiitake, as in braised shiitake and soba noodle…
• EaRyeRye's most prominent flavor notes are mushroom, potato and grass; sourdough fermentation adds malty, vanilla and buttery notes alongside…
• RoMaple syrupCertain milk cap mushrooms (including Lactarius camphoratus, L.
• BeRosemaryChef Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago pairs matsutake mushroom cake and caramel with rosemary and sherry-vinegar jelly, pine nut salt and…
• MaSeaweedKombu and shiitake combine to make dashi, a deeply umami vegan broth.
• ChBlue CheeseBlue cheeses owe their color and some of their flavor compounds to the same fungi found in mushrooms.
• ChSoft CheeseA ripe Camembert eaten at room temperature carries a mushroomy, straw-like aroma produced by the same Penicillium camembertii mold that…
• EaBarleyMushroom is barley's classic savory partner.