For this episode we are going to talk about another technique rather than a recipe, but I promise we will get to some recipes soon. I need to show you these techniques first as they will help you with the recipes that follow. As per the first lesson, it makes me really Cranky when people have some really good food options in front of them but think it’s too much work. They put some chicken nuggets in the air fryer and that’s supper. Do you like to get lucky?? Not with chicken nuggets you don’t. Stick with me and I’ll get you wearing that hockey helmet yet… bow-chicka-wow-wow. As usual, I will write a sexy narrative and then recap in plain English at the end. This one will have pictures.

 

Searing was invented by cavemen putting meat on the fire. This art has been lost as it’s easier to put a mini pizza in the microwave and live with the results because people don’t know any better. There are different levels of searing depending on what you are eating, and not all food should be seared. Some are better sauted. Now, I’m betting you think mushrooms are one of those that are better sauted, but you’d be wrong, and I’m going to show you why. I am not a classically trained chef. These are all techniques, tips and tricks I have learned over the years. Just like I did, you can take them, leave them, or use the ones you like.  

 

He walked over to the French door fridge and ripped open the doors like it was her sweater, all the goods within on display for him to marvel at. He selected the brown bag with the mushrooms and walked over to the counter. Filling a large bowl with warm water he dumped the mushrooms in and began to caress and wash them until they were clean and smooth. Running his hands over the knife rack he selected the small paring knife and pulled it out of the block slowly at first, and then fast. He cut the ends off of the stems and then cut them thick. Some of the smaller mushrooms he cut in 4 slices, and the larger ones 6 or 8 slices. Selecting a suitable pan, he put it on the stove, turning it on to medium. As he waited, his mind drifted to that time they spend on the beach on that remote island, their naked bodies entwined, covered in sand and bits of seaweed… but that will have to wait. It’s time to start cooking! The dry pan had been heating nice and evenly for 5 minutes. Now he turned it up to medium/high and it got hot. So hot. After another minute he threw a big hunk of butter into the waiting pan, and he watched it sizzle and melt. Letting the butter get really hot, he threw in the mushrooms. He had to wait 2 minutes to let them start to sear, and flipping the pan like he was making flap jacks, the mushrooms swirled in an orgy of hot butter and other mushrooms. He let them settle again and after another 2 minutes flipped the pan again. Letting them settle, he could now see that some were really seared on one side and some were not. So he grabbed a fork and flipped the ones that were not onto the fresh side and let the hot butter do its work. Flipping again, he finished off all the sides that were not seared. He removed from the heat, sprinkled with some Cranky Jimmy’s Original and set them aside.

 

You’re probably thinking why don’t you just start the pan on medium/high and save a step. Well, then your butter will burn as soon as you put it in the pan. You don’t want to burn the butter. It makes it bitter. Just to be clear, in this blog, we use butter. We put on our fat pants and use real butter and that butter eventually settles around our midsection and maybe a little around the hips... but that's okay because chicks dig dad-bods. Heating the pan nice and hot on medium and then turning it up gets the pan to the perfect temperature. As I said earlier, there are different levels of sear and different things that should be seared, some not. Mushrooms – first of all, in this blog we only cook with cremini mushrooms (brown). In case you don’t know, creminis are baby portabellas, but personally, I find they taste better and are much easier to work with. You can buy chanterelle or morel mushrooms if that’s your jam, but if you buy white button mushrooms, I can’t help you. Just give up now, no Hubba Hubbas for you, maybe a pity clap. Now, with mushrooms you have to sear them hard and fast. If you sauté them on a lower heat, the juices will be shed and you will lose flavour. You want to lock in that flavour, and get that yummy butter all up in there.