Mushrooms aren’t included in my list of food cravings. I like cooked mushrooms, but I don’t crave them. There’s never been I time where I thought I would die if I couldn’t get my hands on some mushrooms. That doesn’t mean they don’t play an important role in my cast of food characters. They take on a supporting role and add a bit of flair. Flair is good if you’re looking to make a meal extraordinary for a special occasion like a birthday celebration, Valentine’s Day, anniversary dinner or a Tuesday.
White mushrooms, sautéed in a red wine and butter sauce, take on a velvety chocolate appearance and add a special touch to a meal. They’re shown, in the photo above, along side Skillet Roasted Pork Chops . Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I will be serving these lovelies to my Valentine with his favorite hunk of meat: rib-eye steak.
Select any button-type mushroom and keep them whole. I have no animosity toward sliced mushrooms or the person responsible for the slicing of the mushrooms. My preference simply leans toward whole mushrooms, perhaps because they retain their mushroom-y appearance. If you’re not a member of the “let’s retain the mushroom-y appearance club” and prefer sliced mushrooms, you can substitute them. However, if they appear on your plate sliced and you can’t identify them, we have room in our club for you.
Y’all come see us!
Mushrooms Sautéed in Wine and Butter
The recommend cleaning method, from folks that are supposed to know such things, is that you wipe each mushroom with a damp a paper towel to clean. That’s NOT my recommendation. In fact, I find it absurd. It takes way more patience than I have to complete that little mundane task. Granted, you don’t want to soak mushrooms in water. They are as absorbent as paper towels. Give them a quick rinse in a colander , drain well by bashing the colander on the side of the sink a few times and cook immediately.
The size of the mushroom container I bought at Costco just happened to be 23 ounces. There’s nothing magical about 23 ounces of mushrooms. Adjust the amount of butter and wine up or down to accommodate the amount of mushrooms you cook.
23 ounces whole button-type mushrooms, cleaned using the rinse and bash method described in the headnote.
1/2 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup red wine
Melt butter in skillet. Add mushrooms and stir continuously until the volume of mushrooms had reduced by about 1/2 and they have starting browning.
Add salt and stir well.
Add wine and stir. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all the wine is absorbed.
Send me a note and thank me for saving you all that time by introducing you to the “rinse and bash” method of cleaning mushrooms instead the “wipe each one with a damp paper towel” method.
Rocquie says
I had already planned to cook a steak for my valentine. This reminds me of how much he LOVES mushrooms. These look really delicious, I will be making them. Just in time–thanks.
Jackie Garvin says
Hi Rocquie,
Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your sweetheart! 🙂
Sue, a Florida Farm Girl says
I’m a firm believer in WASHING my mushrooms!! I know what they are grown in!!! I rinse mine under a very small stream of water and immediately dry them with a paper towel. I like them whole if small enough. Otherwise, they get sliced. I even love a fresh slice sprinkled with salt. And red wine and butter??? Nectar of the gods.
Jackie Garvin says
Sue,
I’m with you on the reason you stated for washing your mushrooms! I’ve been washing and bashing for years and have never had a problem.
Bonnie Milam says
Alton Brown completely debunked the “don’t wash mushrooms” myth on Good Eats, much to my relief. Just wash and dry them quickly and they’re fine.
Jackie Garvin says
Bonnie,
I haven’t seen that episode but I definitely going to look it up. I can tell you that I’ve been rinsing and bashing for a long time. 🙂
Mary ann says
Thanks for the rinse and bash method! And the recipe, we are doing steak too so this is perfect!
Jackie Garvin says
Mary Ann,
Enjoy your steak with your “rinsed and bashed” mushrooms!
Cindy says
Glad to know i’m not the only one who rinses and bashes my mushrooms. I don’t know what all those little brown specs are or where they came from and I don’t want them on my mushrooms! Lol
Jackie Garvin says
Cindy,
Rinsing and bashing is tried and true in my kitchen!
Marian Zieman says
Thanks for enlightening us on the “rinse and bash method ” for cleaning mushrooms. If you where stuffing mushrooms , do you think you would use that method or just wipe them off? Say if you were just prepping mushrooms to be stuffed, actually not being stuffed till next day.
Jackie Garvin says
Marian,
I would still rinse and bash. However, you might want to do a few extra bashes and then place the mushrooms in a sealable plastic bar with some paper towel in the bottom to absorb moisture.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
I LOVE mushrooms! This looks simple yet so flavoursome and tempting!
Jackie Garvin says
Angie,
They are simple! That’s what I’m all about. It’s amazing how much flavor wine and butter bring to the party. 🙂
Jean says
Jackie you and I have the same opinion of mushrooms. Won’t be anything I will be waking up in the night craving. I do like them but it’s not something I can’t live without. I think the rinse method is the same one used for berries as well. Seems to work.
Jackie Garvin says
Jean,
Great minds……..
🙂
Mary says
We are mushroom lovers at this house. I agree with the wash and bash method of cleaning, just feel more comfortable knowing they are cleaner than just wiping them off. Thanks for sharing you recipe.
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks for stopping by, Mary! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Chris Barron says
So happy to find someone that washes their mushrooms……always have washed and drained! That wet paper towel method never worked for me! And in addition, (don’t mean to be name-dropping) Shari Keen and I have been VERY close friends for almost 50 years!
Jackie Garvin says
Chris,
Any friend of Shari Keen’s is certainly a friend of mine! I love her to pieces. Were you one of her “elves”?
Mushroom washers of the world unite! 🙂