Do Portobello Mushrooms Need Gills Removed?
My sister is afraid of mushrooms, especially gills. This is both a little annoying and very funny. As someone who loves to feed his family (including this sister), it’s exhausting to imagine mushrooms below the recognition threshold; like an older sibling, this phobia offers many opportunities for older siblings to joke around. (Also, this is an effective way to lure her out of the kitchen—simply stick the mushroom with the gill side outward in her general direction.)
Luckily for my sister, the worst part of the fungus—again, those damn gills—can be removed fairly easily.
What are these gills?
Unlike fish gills, which help fish take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide, the two main functions of mushroom gills (otherwise known as “lamellae”) are spore dispersal and identification (which fungi probably don’t care about). It is believed that these thin, paper-like “ribs” evolved as a way to increase the surface area, and therefore the number of spores that can be dispersed, are technically edible, although not everyone likes them in food.
Should you remove them?
Whether or not you remove the mushroom gills depends on what you are cooking and whether or not you like the taste of them. The main objection to mushroom gills has to do with aesthetics: if left out, they can make your dish dark and cloudy, and they tend to have a stronger, musty, slightly bitter taste, depending on how fresh they are. According to Serious Eats , fresh gills “should be dry, with a faint pinkish tint when you hold them in the light. If it’s dark black or wet, the fungus is no longer in the best shape.”
I don’t mind gills on bells, but the gills on fully grown, mature portobellos can be too large, especially if served as part of a large dish, and they can make it messy. The gills may also contain gravel or sand, but these are easily removed with a quick rinse.
How to remove them
If you choose to remove the gills from the portobello mushroom, all you need is a spoon. Remove the lignified stem and either finely chop it and cook with the rest of the dish, or save it for vegetable broth. Take a modest tablespoon (not a tablespoon) and carefully insert the tip under the edge of the gills to separate them into pieces. After removing the gills, rinse the cap quickly and cook as usual. (For best results , don’t add oil or fat until you’ve got a good roast. Trust me on this.)