Garlic Sautéed Mushrooms

Mushrooms frequently feature on Irish dinner menus. Served with steak, lamb or pork chops, roast chicken Sunday dinner or with fried fish, they're extra delicious when sautéed with garlic.

Pan-fried white mushrooms with an extra garlic zing, take the fried mushrooms of my Irish childhood to the next level altogether.

This is an easy recipe. The mushrooms are caramelized to a deep golden brown to produce a truly mouth watering vegetable side dish.

The deliciously rich earthy flavor of mushrooms compliments so many traditional Irish dishes.

Tasty goodness in a dish and even better still, they're quick and easy, and ready in just minutes.

These mushrooms may be easy to cook, there are however a few simple mushroom preparation and cooking rules you need to stick to in order to guarantee success.

My Irish granny used to gather wild mushrooms in the fields of her farm in County Cork, and we'd cook them in melted Irish butter with a little sprinkle of salt. Irish food at its very best!

Are Mushrooms Grown In Ireland?

 

Mushrooms are a very important crop in Ireland where they are grown all year round. Believe it or not, the humble mushroom forms the largest export crop in Ireland's horticultural sector.

Mushrooms are found in all large grocery stores or supermarkets in Ireland. White mushrooms are usually referred to as button mushrooms if they are less than an inch in diameter.

 

How do you clean mushrooms?

 

Mushrooms bought in the store, especially in Ireland, are usually speckled with a little dirt. It's important to clean them before cooking, but immersing them in water is a no-no.

My granny would always wipe mushrooms clean with a damp tea towel or dish cloth. She always warned that if you dip mushrooms in water, you'll end up with a soggy mess when you try to fry them.

If your mushrooms are really dirty it's alright to give them a very quick splash of water, but whatever you do, don't soak them in a bowl of water.

Their flesh is like a sponge that loves to soak up extra liquid. So it's a quick rinse only and then dry them with paper towels, or a damp cloth.

Mushroom brushes are designed to have soft bristles to brush the dirt off mushrooms without damaging the flesh. Well worth a try!

 

Ingredients for Garlic Sautéed Mushrooms:

 

Here's what you'll need. You'll find exact amounts required in the printable recipe at the bottom of this post.

• white mushrooms (cleaned)
• garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
• olive oil (plus a knob of butter for flavor if desired)
• fresh parsley
• salt and black pepper

 

Directions for Garlic Sautéed Mushrooms:

 

Add olive oil to a large heavy bottomed skillet. Turn the heat to high.

Add a knob of butter if you're not too concerned about calories. Using a mixture of olive oil with a little bit of butter adds extra flavor and helps to caramelize the mushrooms to a rich brown color. And heck, I'm Irish - we simply love our butter, especially creamy Irish butter.

Add minced garlic to the oil in the pan and sauté for a minute. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula to make sure the garlic doesn't burnt. 

Add the mushrooms to the garlic in the pan.

Now, here's one of my mushroom cooking rules.

Do not crowd the pan with too many mushrooms.

They contain lots of moisture so if they're too close together in the pan they'll start to steam. That's the same rule I apply when making Irish roast potatoes.

Here's another rule. Do not stir the mushrooms at first.

They need to sit and heat in the pan to achieve a delicious brown coloring.

Sear the mushrooms for around 2-3 minutes. Once they've started to cook and it's okay to toss them occasionally until they start to soften and turn brown. 

Add a pinch of salt and season with pepper.

Continue to cook, tossing occasionally. Be patient and wait for the mushrooms to turn a deep brown color. Then you'll know they are truly caramelized. This process takes around 10 minutes.

Keep an eye on the heat, since you don't want to burn them. Turn it down low if your mushrooms start to burn.

Feel free to add additional flavors. I like to add a dash of Worcestershire sauce, or a tablespoon of sherry or Vermouth is delicious. In today's recipe I kept the mushrooms plain, but feel free to experiment if you like a little something extra in a dish every now and then.

Finally add a little chopped fresh parsley and stir. Parsley is a perfect finishing touch.

Once again, feel free to experiment. Chopped chives or green onions add a little extra flavor instead of the parsley.

And there you have it - a simple mushroom side dish loved in Ireland.

Here's the printable recipe.

Thanks so much for following my recipes and ramblings.

I hope you enjoy this tasty mushroom side.

 

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

 

Irish American Mom

Here are some more Irish side dish recipes you might enjoy...

Cider Glazed CarrotsIrish Champ

Cauliflower Cheese

Plus here's a graphic for anyone who likes to file their favorite recipes on Pinterest.