Many chefs value dried mushrooms for their long shelf life, bold flavor, and usefulness in a wide variety of recipes. To use them in your favorite dishes, you first need to rinse them thoroughly and soak them in a bowl of water to restore their original size and texture. You can then use them just like fresh ones, adding them to soups, stir-fries, sauces, casseroles, or any other dish. How long to cook dry mushrooms until tender?
Where to buy them and how to choose?
In most supermarkets you can find dried mushrooms in the produce section. There are many different types to choose from, including shiitake and porcini mushrooms. Each variety has its own distinctive flavor profile and is used in different recipes.
If you don't see dried mushrooms in the produce section, check your spice racks. This product is sometimes classified as a flavoring rather than a vegetable.
Shiitake, matsutake and other woody varieties are commonly used in Asian soups and sauces, while porcini and chanterelle mushrooms are important ingredients in savory European-style stews and gravies. The variety you choose usually determines how long to cook dry mushrooms for a particular dish.
Rehydrating Dried Mushrooms
Take the exact amount of mushrooms you plan to cook and place them in a colander or strainer. Run them under a stream of cool water, tossing them every few seconds to wash off any remaining dirt that has landed on the surface.
Most recipes that call for dried mushrooms will list dry amounts, making them easy to measure. It is very difficult to determine in advance the weight of the product after soaking.
Place freshly washed mushrooms in the bottom of a deep bowl. Make sure they are concentrated near the center of the container so they have enough room to expand as they absorb moisture.
Fill the bowl with enough water to completely submerge the dried mushrooms. Some cooks prefer to use hot water because they believe it helps the food regain its original size and texture more quickly. However, warm water at room temperature will generally be the best choice.
There is a possibility that the hot liquid may wash out the flavor from the mushrooms. For this reason, they are best used for recipes that call for broth. Using hot water is justified when you are in a hurry and do not have time for long soaking. How long to cook dry mushrooms after soaking depends on their type and on the dish you intend to prepare.
Cooking tips
Dried mushrooms can be a real lifesaver in the kitchen, especially when it is not possible to buy a fresh product. They will add an unsurpassed rich mushroom aroma to the dish, and they will help bring any sauce to the desired thick consistency. But even dried mushrooms need to be able to choose and cook correctly.
Here's what experienced chefs advise:
- When choosing dried mushrooms, pay attention to their appearance. All pieces should be uniform and dark in color. Avoid dried mushrooms with small holes in the cap or stem; it is possible that worms lived in them before drying.
- If you have the opportunity to smell dried mushrooms, be sure to do so. Good mushrooms should have a rich and intense aroma.
- If you have enough time, soak the mushrooms in cold water overnight. This way they will better retain their taste.
- After soaking, the broth can be used instead of liquid in the main dish or frozen for future use.
- Be sure to rinse dried mushrooms after soaking, as most often they are poorly washed and cleaned before drying.
How long to soak?
The exact soaking time depends on the type of mushrooms you are dealing with. Large or dense varieties such as shiitakes or whites may take a full couple of hours to soak, while most other types will be ready to cook in just 40 to 50 minutes. As the mushrooms absorb water, they gradually begin to develop a soft, meaty texture. Keep an eye on them and remove them from the water when they stop swelling. If you let them soak for too long, they may become mushy and begin to lose some of their flavor.
Once the dried mushrooms are properly hydrated, pour the remaining liquid into a separate container. It can be used to add extra savory notes to soups, stews, sauces and other dishes. If necessary, you can strain this liquid through a coffee filter or piece of cheesecloth to remove any remaining sand. If you don't plan to use the mushroom broth right away, seal the container and place it in the freezer, where it will keep indefinitely until you're ready to take it out.
Soaking process
Dried mushrooms are widely used by culinary specialists around the world. Due to the rich aroma and pleasant consistency that they add to the dish, the popularity of this product does not fade. Dried mushrooms are added to sauces, used to make soup, porridge, and even included as a filling in pies.
But before you start preparing the main dish, dried mushrooms need to be soaked in water for a while so that they return to their original shape. Mushrooms are soaked in different ways:
- to obtain a richer taste - in cold water;
- to soften the aroma, use milk;
- As an express method, use hot water.
The amount of soaking water will depend on how many mushrooms you use:
- at ¾ st. water take 15 g of dried mushrooms;
- for 1 ½ tbsp. liquids - 30 g, etc.
The mushrooms should be completely covered with liquid. In addition, to add a special aroma and taste, dried mushrooms are sometimes soaked in cognac or wine.
How to cook them?
How long does it take to cook dry mushrooms? After pre-soaking, this time will average thirty minutes. If we are talking about champignons, only 5 minutes from the moment of boiling will be sufficient.
In principle, it is possible to determine the readiness of a product without measuring the cooking time. To do this, you will need to lift the pan in which the mushrooms are cooked, grasping it by both handles. If any mushrooms are still on the surface of the liquid, they are still raw. The finished product always sinks to the bottom of the pan.
How long to cook dry mushrooms without soaking? If you do not first place them in liquid for a certain time, they will take a very long time to boil. Depending on the type of mushroom, this can take up to eight hours.
Risotto: what could be tastier?
Tired of the usual side dishes and want some variety? Try making risotto with porcini mushrooms. Of course, we will use the dried product. This treat has a unique taste and aroma. You can add any meat dish, fish or fresh vegetables to it.
On a note! Professional chefs recommend using steamed rice grains for cooking.
Ingredients:
- dried porcini mushrooms – 50 g;
- butter – 100 g;
- filtered water – 400 ml;
- onion - one head;
- white wine – 100 ml;
- rice cereal – 200 g;
- garlic - three cloves;
- refined vegetable oil;
- dried thyme - one table. spoon;
- fresh parsley - a few sprigs;
- Russian cheese – 100-150 g;
- salt, ground allspice.
Preparation:
- First we will prepare the porcini mushrooms. Since the product needs to be soaked for several hours, we’ll take care of this in advance.
- Let's sort out the dried mushrooms and fill them with chilled filtered water. In this form, leave them at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
- After the allotted time has passed, wash the swollen porcini mushrooms and then boil them. Since we will continue to stew the mushrooms, we will boil them for a quarter of an hour. We record the time from the moment the liquid boils.
- Let's prepare the rest of the ingredients we need to prepare this dish. It is advisable to take dry wine.
- Place the boiled white mushrooms in a sieve or colander. Leave for a few minutes to get rid of excess liquid.
- After the white mushrooms have cooled, cut them into pieces.
- Heat a little refined vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add the chopped mushrooms and fry for a couple of minutes.
- Chop the peeled onion and garlic cloves into small cubes.
- Place the onions and garlic in another frying pan and add butter to them.
- Steamed rice does not need to be rinsed. When the onion softens slightly, add the raw rice to the pan.
- Mix everything well and fry for a couple of minutes. The ghee should be completely absorbed by the rice.
- Next, pour in white wine. Stir and simmer until the wine is completely absorbed.
- The dish should be simmered over moderate heat. Please note that the alcohol will evaporate during cooking, leaving only the delicious taste.
- Next, add literally one glass of filtered water.
- We continue to simmer the rice grains. When there is very little water left, add another 200 ml of filtered water. You can use warm boiled one.
- And only when the rice cereal is completely ready, we will add chopped parsley, grated Russian cheese, boiled mushrooms, dried thyme, salt and ground allspice.
- Mix all the ingredients and taste the treat. If necessary, add a little more salt. Simmer for a couple of minutes until the cheese melts and remove from the stove.
- Now you can enjoy the incredible taste of mushroom risotto.
Are there any differences for porcini mushrooms?
How long to cook dry porcini mushrooms? This variety is not called “royal” for nothing. The taste and smell of these mushrooms is unique. Almost any dish can be prepared from them, from soup to complex sauces. The broth from them turns out to be as rich and satisfying as from a piece of meat on the bone. At the same time, they are much easier to cook than other types.
How long should you cook dry porcini mushrooms? In order to then fry or stew them, boiling will take only 15 minutes. To prepare the soup, you will need a little more time - 20-30 minutes. Do not cook them longer, otherwise the flavor will begin to evaporate.
How to prepare liquid dishes from them?
When preparing liquid-based dishes (soups, stews), you can use mushrooms or add a little liquid from their soaking to enhance the taste of the dish. The liquid in which this product swells will be very concentrated, so be careful not to overdo it.
Dried mushrooms can form the basis for many dishes, such as all kinds of stews, minestrone and goulash, as well as Japanese soups (miso and ramen).
How long to cook dry mushrooms for soup? This will require the same 20-30 minutes as for preparing other dishes. Also keep in mind that when soaked, the dried product greatly increases in size and weight. For example, if a recipe calls for 300 grams of fresh mushrooms to be added to a dish, you will only need about 50 grams in dried form.
How about frying?
That we are all about soups and soups. Since it’s no secret to us how to cook dried mushrooms, it’s time to remember the second courses. Mushrooms fried with onions will be an excellent side dish for meat and poultry. To do this, the soaked dried meat needs to be boiled, but less time is allocated for this stage - about ten minutes after boiling. Then the mushrooms are strained out of the liquid as much as possible - just enough time to cut the onion into half rings.
Now you need to melt the butter in a frying pan - it is ideal for realizing your idea. Onion chips are first fried on it, and after it is browned, strained mushrooms are fried. It is necessary to fry with intense stirring, since butter has less resistance to sticking than vegetable oil. At the very end, the mushrooms are salted, peppered and flavored with selected spices.
Don’t deprive yourself of gastronomic pleasure because it’s “out of season,” since cooking dried mushrooms is no more difficult than fresh ones.
How to use them in sauces?
This is a good way to use dried mushrooms without pre-soaking them. Crush them into small pieces or grind them into powder and add them to sauce or gravy during cooking. Porcini mushrooms, which have a unique aroma, are especially good for this use.
The addition of this product is ideal for complementing spicy tomato and cream-based sauces, as well as thick gravies. How long should you cook dry mushrooms in this case? 20-30 minutes will be enough, despite the lack of soaking, since they are pre-chopped.
Mushroom soup with toast
To prepare this soup, you can use both fresh and frozen mushrooms.
The soup contains:
- porcini mushrooms – 420 g;
- high fat milk – 180 ml;
- ready-made vegetable broth – 350 ml;
- onion – 2 pcs.;
- premium wheat flour – 25 g;
- ready-made white bread toasts;
- vegetable oil;
- pepper, salt, parsley.
Step-by-step cooking instructions:
- Peeled and washed mushrooms, as well as onions, cut into medium cubes.
- Cook the onion in oil for 3-5 minutes and add the “whites” to it.
- After 10 minutes, remove half of the roast from the pan. Add flour to the rest and fry for 1 minute. After this, add broth and milk. Let it boil. Be sure to stir so that the flour does not burn.
- When the contents of the pan have cooled, grind using a blender.
Serve the finished soup with toast covered with onion and mushroom frying.
