Cremini Mushrooms
Cremini mushrooms are very popular in all kinds of recipes from soups to stir-frys. They are closely related to white mushrooms that so many people know in the culinary world.
In this post we are going to go over how to saute the mushrooms, substitutes, and how to clean them. If you have not eaten these little mushrooms before, I encourage you to try them.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- kosher salt (2 pinches)
- black pepper ( 2 pinches)
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Equipment
- Frying pan
- Spatula
- Chef knife
What are cremini mushrooms
Cremini mushrooms are in the same family as the white button mushrooms and the portabella “baby bellas”, also known as Agaricus Bisporus. They start as the white mushroom and then they are picked before they become the Portabello mushroom that so many people love. They are small to medium size mushrooms with a mild flavor.
How to clean cremini mushrooms
You want to use a clean dish towel or paper napkin to brush off the dirt. Do not clean a cremini mushroom with water because mushrooms are like sponges and will absorb the water.
Cremini mushroom substitute
The best substitute would be the white mushrooms as they will give a similar earthy flavor and nobody would know the difference in any mushroom recipe. If you need something out of the mushroom family try these mushroom substitutes.
If you want a little more of an earthy full flavor then go with a portabella mushroom that is a lot larger and slice it up. The only difference might be a stronger flavor.
Sauteed Cremini mushroom recipe – 4 Simple Steps
1. Clean of the dirt
Before you clean the mushrooms you want to make sure if the mushrooms have gone bad.
The first step is to clean off the excessive dirt. The goal is to get the majority off. You will not get all of the dirt off. One of the best parts of eating mushrooms is getting the chance to eat a little bit of dirt.
I like to use a clean dish towel or a napkin, when I use a paper towel it tends to get fibers from the paper towel all over the cleaned mushroom.
It is very important to not use water to clean your mushrooms. When you use water, the mushrooms will suck up that water like a sponge and it will not cook properly.
2. Cut in half
Typically they are not too big so I like to cut them in half and not any smaller. If they are really small then I will keep them whole.
You want to keep the thickness pretty consistent so that they all cook evenly. I shoot for a thickness around 1/2″ if the mushrooms are huge I will cut them into 3 pieces.
If the stems are too long or really dirty then I tend to remove them but it is not necessary.
3. Saute
Preheat your pan on medium heat. You want to get the pan hot before you add the oil but not so hot that you will burn the oil.
Add the extra virgin olive oil to the pan and when the oil starts to streak as you see in a glass of red wine then that is the time to add the mushrooms.
It is important to have the pan hot so that mushrooms actually brown and not just absorb the oil.
Now, let the mushrooms cook for a minute on one side so that they get brown. After you start to get some results, start to move them around the pan.
4. Season and deglaze
Kosher Salt
When the mushrooms are browned and tender but not mushy add the kosher salt. You want to season them pretty liberally.
Butter
Add the butter and saute a bit longer. We are adding the butter at the end so that the butter does not burn.
Fresh cracked black pepper
Now that they are seasoned with salt and coated with the butter go ahead and add some fresh cracked black pepper.
Deglaze balsamic
The final step is to deglaze the pan. Add the balsamic vinegar and let it release all the flavor that is on the bottom of the pan, it will also thicken into a delicious sauce that will coat the mushrooms.
Add them to a plate and eat them by themselves or serve them as a side to your favorite dish… Enjoy!
Now if you have a dish that you would like to include onions then check out sauteed mushrooms and onions.
Sauteed Crimini Mushrooms | 3 Simple Steps
Ingredients
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 pinch kosher salt
- 1 tbsp butter real butter not margine
- 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
- 2 pinch Fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Prep the mushrooms
- Clean the dirt off the mushrooms.
- Cut the mushrooms in half or cut them into 3rds if they are really big.
Sauteing
- Preheat your pan on medium heat. You want to get it hot before you add the oil but not so hot that will can burn the oil.
- Add the olive oil and allow it to get hot and then add the mushrooms before the oil starts to smoke.
- Allow the mushrooms to cook a bit and get brown on one side; salt them as you wait.
- Start moving them around and then add the butter and make sure all the mushrooms get covered with the butter.
- Add the fresh cracked black pepper and then deglaze with the balsamic vinegar.Move them around the pan and get all the flavor off the bottom onto the mushrooms and then serve.
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