How to Cook Oyster Mushrooms: Method and 5 Easy Recipes

Oyster mushrooms are one of the best mushrooms you can put in a pan: tender caps, slightly chewy stems and edges that crisp up like nothing else. They are also easy to ruin. Crowd the pan or drown them in oil and they go limp and gray. Here is how we cook the oysters that come off the MushRealm bench, plus five simple recipes that work with any variety.

How to prepare oyster mushrooms

1. Choose firm, dry mushrooms. Fresh oysters are springy, smell clean and earthy, and have cap edges that still curl slightly under. Skip any that are slimy, wet or smell sour.
2. Trim the base. Oysters grow in clusters joined at a tough base. Cut it off; it is fine to save for stock.
3. Tear, do not chop. Pull the caps apart along their natural lines into strips about 2 to 3 cm (about 1 in) wide. Torn edges brown better than knife cuts and keep the pieces similar in size so they cook evenly.
4. Do not wash them much. Oysters soak up water like a sponge. Brush off any substrate. If they really are gritty, give them a quick rinse and pat them dry with paper towels.

The dry sauté method

This is the technique behind every recipe below. It works because oysters are mostly water: get rid of the water first, then brown them.

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for a minute. Cast iron or heavy stainless steel is best.
2. Add the mushrooms with no oil, in a single layer. Do not crowd the pan; cook in batches if you need to.
3. Leave them alone for 2 minutes, then press them down with a spatula. They will release water and it will sizzle away.
4. Stir and keep cooking for another 2 to 4 minutes until the pan is dry and the mushrooms have shrunk and started to color.
5. Add a tablespoon of butter or oil. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more, turning occasionally, until the edges are golden and crisp.
6. Add garlic in the last minute so it does not burn. Salt at the end; salting early pulls out water and stops browning.

Cooking times by variety

To roast any of them, toss torn oysters with oil and salt and spread on a baking sheet at 220°C (425°F) for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once. Not sure which variety you have? Our guide to oyster mushroom varieties explains the differences.

5 simple oyster mushroom recipes

Each serves two as a side or light meal.

1. Garlic butter oysters on toast

You need: 250 g (9 oz) oyster mushrooms, 2 tbsp butter, 2 garlic cloves (sliced), a few sprigs of thyme, 2 thick slices of sourdough, half a lemon, chopped parsley, salt and pepper.

1. Dry sauté the mushrooms until golden.
2. Add the butter, garlic and thyme and cook for 2 minutes, spooning the butter over.
3. Toast the bread, pile the mushrooms on top and pour over the pan butter.
4. Finish with lemon juice, parsley, salt and black pepper. A fried or poached egg on top makes it a meal.

2. Crispy fried oyster mushrooms

You need: 300 g (10 oz) oyster mushrooms in large pieces, 250 ml (1 cup) buttermilk (or milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice), 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp each of smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and neutral oil for frying.

1. Soak the mushrooms in the buttermilk for 10 minutes.
2. Mix the flour and seasonings. Lift each piece from the buttermilk, let it drip, then press it firmly into the flour.
3. Heat 1.5 cm (1/2 in) of oil to 175°C (350°F) in a deep pan.
4. Fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes a side until deep golden. Drain on a rack or paper towels and salt straight away.

3. Ginger and soy stir-fry

You need: 300 g (10 oz) oyster mushrooms, 1 tbsp neutral oil, a thumb of ginger (grated), 2 garlic cloves, 2 scallions, 2 heads of bok choy, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp honey or sugar, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil.

1. Dry sauté the mushrooms until browned, then push them to one side.
2. Add the oil, ginger, garlic and the white parts of the scallions. Fry for 30 seconds.
3. Add the bok choy and cook 2 minutes until just wilted.
4. Stir in the soy, honey and sesame oil, toss, and finish with the green scallion tops. Serve with rice.

4. King oyster "scallops"

You need: 3 to 4 thick king oyster stems, 1 tbsp neutral oil, 1 tbsp butter, 1 garlic clove, salt, lemon.

1. Slice the stems into rounds 2.5 cm (1 in) thick. Score a shallow crosshatch on both cut faces.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet until shimmering. Add the rounds flat side down and leave them for 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden.
3. Flip, add the butter and crushed garlic, and baste for another 3 minutes.
4. Salt, squeeze over lemon and serve straight away.

5. Creamy oyster mushroom pasta

You need: 300 g (10 oz) oyster mushrooms, 200 g (7 oz) tagliatelle or linguine, 1 shallot, 2 garlic cloves, 150 ml (2/3 cup) heavy cream or crème fraîche, 30 g (1/3 cup) grated parmesan, parsley, black pepper.

1. Cook the pasta in well-salted water. Save a mugful of the cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, dry sauté the mushrooms until golden, add a little butter, then the finely chopped shallot and garlic for 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the cream and simmer for 1 minute.
4. Toss in the drained pasta, parmesan and a splash of pasta water until glossy. Finish with parsley and plenty of pepper.

What goes well with oyster mushrooms

Oysters are mild and savory, so they pair with almost anything. These are the combinations we come back to:

• Herbs: thyme, parsley, chives, tarragon, cilantro in Asian or Mexican dishes.
• Aromatics: garlic, shallot, leek, ginger.
• Fats: butter, olive oil, toasted sesame oil.
• Acid: lemon, sherry vinegar, a splash of dry white wine.
• Umami: soy sauce, miso, parmesan.
• Proteins: eggs, chicken, pork, white fish, tofu.
• Vegetables and grains: zucchini, spinach, peas, risotto, polenta.

For tacos, shred pearl or king oysters with two forks, dry sauté until crisp at the edges, then season with smoked paprika, cumin and lime, and serve with cilantro and pickled red onion.

Using a big harvest

A single home grow can produce more oysters than you can eat in a week, and most varieties are best within a few days of picking. Cook a big batch with the dry sauté method, cool it and freeze it flat in bags for soups, pasta and stir-fries. Our guide on how to store fresh mushrooms covers fridge life, drying and freezing.

If you want a steady supply, oysters are the easiest mushroom to grow at home. Our grow kit pairs a sterilized grain bag with CV Prime for a first grow, and the method is in how to grow oyster mushrooms on CV substrate. Once you have cooked your own oysters, try lion's mane, which takes the same dry sear beautifully.

Quick checklist

• Trim the base and tear the caps into even strips.
• Brush, do not soak.
• Hot, dry pan, single layer, no crowding.
• Let the water cook off before adding butter or oil.
• Garlic in the last minute, salt at the end.
• King oysters: slice, score and sear like scallops.
• Golden oysters: cook briefly and gently.

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