Peel Off the Mushrooms for Better Browning
If you’re chasing the perfect fried dish, mushrooms are going to be a huge pain to deal with. Regardless of whether you rinse them or not, just slicing and chopping will release enough natural moisture so that even previously bone-dried mushrooms can get wet before they enter the pan – and that just won’t do.
We all know moisture is the enemy of a golden brown crisp, so keeping mushrooms as dry as possible is the key to successful roasting. There are two preparatory tricks I use to minimize moisture, both of which I learned fromthis Bon Appétit video on scorched mushrooms. First, I towel dry them, not rinse them. Washed mushrooms don’t actually absorb as much water, but internal moisture is not a problem: even the quickest rinsing makes surfaces slimy, damp and impervious to towel drying. Second, and more importantly, I pluck the mushrooms from the stems and rip them with my fingers, rather than cutting them with a knife. (Don’t throw away these stems; they make a great vegetable broth .) This breaks the mushrooms into smaller pieces without destroying the fibrous structures that hold water, which ensures that exposed surfaces are nice and dry when they come in contact with hot fat. … It also takes about half the time.
The burst method won’t work for all preparations – it’s probably not the best choice for duxels – but if you want to showcase the natural texture and flavor of fresh mushrooms, it’s impossible to beat.
Carla Sears Mushrooms to Crispy Golden Perfection | Bon Appetit