An easy mushroom sauce is a great recipe to have in your repertoire because it's so versatile, see the tips section below for ideas.

More mushroom recipes

Cultivated fresh mushrooms are available all year. Wild mushrooms are at their peak in autumn although some, such as morels, are found in spring. Dried mushrooms are available all year round.

Choose cultivated mushrooms carefully as they tend to turn limp quickly and loose their flavour. Avoid any that have broken caps, bruised or wrinkled dry patches or that look limp, slimy or sweaty.

Dried wild mushrooms can be easily reconstituted by soaking in warm water. They are excellent added to soups, stews and risottos. As the drying process concentrates their flavour, you only need a few to enhance the flavour of a dish.

(CAUTION: ON NO PICK OR EAT ANY MUSHROOM GROWING IN THE WILD UNLESS YOU CAN POSITIVELY IDENTIFY IT.)

All mushrooms are best used on the day of purchase, although cultivated ones will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator. Mushrooms will sweat if stored in plastic, so keep them in a paper bag, or wrapped in kitchen paper.

To freeze mushrooms, slice them and either sauté in butter or oil, steam or blanch. Cool to room temperature and pack in rigid containers. Cook from frozen unless stir-frying, when you will need to thaw them first in order to avoid being splashed by hot oil when you add them to the pan.

Opinion is divided over whether to lightly rinse mushrooms or to simply wipe them with a damp cloth, but if they’re picked wild, they should always be cleaned carefully before cooking. There’s no need to peel the stems before steaming, frying or grilling mushrooms, unless they’re particularly thick or discoloured. Small mushrooms can be cooked whole, halved or quartered; larger ones are best sliced, chopped or stuffed whole. Butter, cream, parsley and garlic all add flavour to mushrooms. Use them in, sauces, curries, bakes, omelettes and stews, as well as salads.

More mushroom recipes

Meatloaf sarnie

Brown butter mushroom tartlet with bacon jam

Chirashi with miso salmon

Shawarma shrooms with green sauce

Easy chicken casserole

Chicken with creamy mushroom sauce

Roast chicken traybake with squash, sage and lemon crème fraîche

Persian makaroni with tahdig

Tuna lumpia

Coq au vin blanc

Veggie lasagne soup

Chicken and mustard hot pot

Air fryer mushrooms

Eat the rainbow pizza

Doenjang jjigae (Korean beef stew)

Bourride of red mullet, gurnard and fresh salted cod

Porcini mushroom and spinach risotto

Baked Winslade cheese custard with smoked potatoes

Spicy Sichuan hotpot

Vegetarian Chinese dumplings

Celebratory pork and prawn dumplings

Mushroom bourguignon

Guinea fowl choux farci

Mushroom and broccoli stir fry

Buyer's guide

Storage

Preparation

Varieties of mushroom

Chanterelle mushrooms

Chestnut mushrooms

Chinese mushrooms

Morel

Oyster mushrooms

Porcini

Portobello mushrooms

Shiitake mushroom

Straw mushroom

Wild mushrooms

Other funghi

Quorn

Truffle

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