As an avid fan of cooking myself, I’ve seen opinions divided across the board from the perfect cake to the perfect way to boil an egg. Everyone does something in the kitchen in their own special way. However, I never thought I’d see the day where opinions were split over how to cook a mushroom! Fungus protocol discourse sprung up when Chef Jim Fuller, co-founder of meat alternative company Fable Food, claimed there was a much better way to cook mushrooms than to saute them in a pan.
On Australia’s Today Show, Jim Fuller informed viewers that boiling mushrooms before cooking them is the ideal way to cook the popular, dinner table staple (except on my plate). On his Instagram page, Fuller wrote:
“Boil the mushrooms first. This statement created a bit of controversy when I told @lfizzlphillips the best way to cook mushrooms was to start off boiling them until they are perfectly cooked on this morning’s @channel9 @thetodayshow weather.”
The ideal way to use this method is to boil the chopped mushrooms in a shallow pool of water. The goal is to add water as needed until the mushrooms are tender; he also claims that because of the mushroom’s cellular structure, it is impossible to over-boil them. Supposedly, the mushrooms will soak up all of the water in the pan until the water is evaporated, leaving you with tender mushrooms.
By tasting the mushrooms as you go, you can consistently check the texture of the mushrooms to make sure they aren’t too chewy. If they are, keep them boiling and add a bit more water. Once the mushrooms stop releasing water, they’re finished. Toss some oil in the pan and fry them before seasoning them for the best results, according to Fuller.
The discourse erupted after his television appearance, people claiming that his method is incorrect as they’ve never boiled mushrooms before cooking them. However, for many of these critiques, there were other people vouching in favor of this method. One person commented that they’ve been using this method for years “with massive dirty looks from across the kitchen.”
It’s not surprising to hear about new, innovative ways to cook on the daily with everyone’s ability to experiment in the kitchen. There’s no reason to put down someone’s method simply because it’s different; if we didn’t have innovative people trying new things in the kitchen, we would never experience the explosion of flavors that are borne from it. The basis of cooking is to be creative and bold. Why use the same methods over and over again when you can make food fresh and exciting?
Watch here to see how he addresses his controversial statement. On a separate note, check out this article to see the possible future of office life: workout pods.
