Enchanted by oyster mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms have been enchanting me left and right these days. They seem to be showing up in vegetarian dishes at a bunch of restaurants around here, and each time I have them I fall a little more in love. So when I came across a big display of oyster mushrooms at the grocery store today, I knew I had to have them.

There were a couple factors working against the success of my oyster mushroom experiment. Normally when I pick up a food for the first time, I run it through google to get some preparation tips and ideas. But alas, we don’t yet have internet in our new apartment (and I couldn’t possibly wait until tomorrow!), so I had to go it alone. The other problem was that this was only the second time I’ve used the electric stovetop in the new apartment for anything other than boiling water, so I’m still very unfamiliar with how it heats. Let’s just say last night’s stir-fry managed to be both overcooked and undercooked at the same time.

Despite all obstacles, I decided to plow ahead. I separated the oyster mushrooms (they grow in big clumps all stuck together) and sliced the larger ones so that they’d cook more uniformly. Then I sautéed them in some olive oil until a little browned. I added a chopped up garlic clove when the mushrooms were almost done. I served the mushrooms with nothing but salt and pepper. They were scrumptious.

Their flavor is so… pleasant (I wish I were better at describing flavors) and mild, but my real joy comes from the texture. These mushrooms are firm but not tough (as long as they are cooked correctly – which even I managed to do!), and just play around in your mouth in the nicest way. I can’t wait to have them again.