Pick the Right Variety for Perfect Mushroom Recipes
If you're a fungi enthusiast, you probably know there are thousands of different types of mushrooms out there. Which one should you use for your dinner? Well, that depends on what you're making. Here are some of the most popular mushrooms and how to use them:
Closed cup mushrooms: The all-time classic — most likely, this is what you picture when you think of mushrooms. They're bite-sized morsels, and they go well in stews and casseroles or even raw in salads. They also go really well with a creamy sauce, like in our Thai-inspired coconut courgette curry with mushrooms and rice. Of course, you might also have them on toast or as part of your morning fry!
Portobello mushrooms: These mushrooms are big and flat, and they play a starring role in lots of vegetarian dishes. Try serving them filled with garlic and parsley butter or, if you want something a little more decadent, gooey mozzarella cheese.
Shiitake mushrooms: Watch your pronunciation here! These Japanese mushrooms have a very strong flavour and are great in many Asian dishes. They're often sold dried, so you'll need to rehydrate them in hot water before you use them.
Porcini mushrooms: Like shiitakes, these wild Italian mushrooms are easily found dried. If you can get them fresh, you're in for a treat. They're known as the king of the wild mushroom because of their rich flavour. Try them in Italian dishes — they make a particularly good mushroom risotto.
Enoki mushrooms: We had to add these to the list because their appearance is just so wacky! These clumps of very long, very thin mushrooms come from Japan and are great in stir-fries.
