Fried oyster mushrooms
Description
Oyster mushrooms are very delicate and cannot withstand rough handling. Therefore, ideally, you should not wash them at all before cooking—simply wipe off soil particles with a damp cloth. However, this method is only possible if the oyster mushrooms were hand-picked in a pristine forest, which, let's admit, doesn't happen as often as one might wish. Oyster mushrooms purchased at a market or store should still be washed—albeit very carefully, so as not to damage the delicate structure of these tender mushrooms. Step-by-step photos with comments will help you learn how.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
First, separate the oyster mushrooms from each other. Cut off the toughest lower part of the mushrooms (where they are joined together).
- 2
Step 2
Carefully rinse the mushrooms under a gentle stream of running water. Let them drain, then dry on a towel. You can start frying the oyster mushrooms only when they are completely dry!
- 3
Step 3
Peel the garlic and finely chop with a sharp knife.
- 4
Step 4
Wash parsley, dry and finely chop.
- 5
Step 5
Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan (I prefer unrefined sunflower oil—it works wonderfully for mushrooms!) and heat well.
- 6
Step 6
Sauté oyster mushrooms in small batches, cooking each mushroom on both sides—this is the only way to make them truly delicious. Oyster mushrooms should cook quickly; otherwise, they will become rubbery, so it's important to monitor the temperature and stay by the stove.
- 7
Step 7
Place the sautéed mushrooms into a prepared dish. Salt, pepper, and sprinkle with minced garlic and herbs. Add another layer of mushrooms on top, and so on.
- 8
Step 8
You can serve the cooked oyster mushrooms either hot or cold (but they are definitely tastier when hot!). The best side dish is boiled potatoes. Everything else is up to your preference ;)