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c/chefsmark49mark493d ago

Hot take: my first head chef in Chicago told me to never salt mushrooms until the very end, and for years I thought he was nuts.

He said salting them early makes them steam and get rubbery. I always ignored it, just salted them with everything else. Then last month, I finally tested it side by side. Did two pans of creminis. One salted at the start, one at the end after they got a real sear. The difference was night and day. The early-salted ones were soggy and grey. The late-salted ones had that perfect caramelized crust and meaty bite. He was totally right. I've been messing up mushroom dishes for a decade. Anyone else have a kitchen rule they fought against that turned out to be gold?
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2 Comments
sanchez.mary
I salt mine early all the time and they still sear fine. Maybe your pan wasn't hot enough.
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price.logan
Actually, the salt pulls out moisture and stops them from browning properly.
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