How to Cook King Oyster Mushrooms (2024)

FAQs

What part of king oyster mushrooms do you eat? ›

Unlike many mushrooms, whose stems become tough and woody, king oyster mushroom stems are firm and dense but completely edible. Indeed, slicing the stems into rounds and sautéeing them yields something resembling sea scallops in texture and appearance, which is why they're sometimes referred to as "vegan scallops."

The best way to cook oyster mushrooms:

Searing oyster mushrooms quickly over medium-high heat is the best method I've found to cook them. They develop an irresistibly tasty crust, almost as if they were dipped in batter. I use the same method to prepare a simple shiitake mushroom recipe.

Only the super hard ends should be removed and all the remaining parts is edible. King oyster mushrooms can be used in pan frying, soups, salad. It can be sliced as thin pieces or cut like abalone flower cutting.

You can slice the thick stems into rounds or slices, score them, and sear them in a hot pan, use in a stir fry recipe or roast them in the oven. This helps prevent their texture from becoming rubbery and allows their flavor to be released. You can also make king oyster mushroom skewers and serve them as a side dish.

When buying king oysters, you want to select them carefully as they don't come cheap! Choose mushrooms with firm, unblemished stems. They usually come nicely trimmed and free from dirt or soil but if you do notice any dirt, gently brush it off instead of washing them.

The cooked side should be golden and slightly crispy around the edges. Continue to cook the mushrooms for another 5-10 minutes on medium heat until the mushrooms are tender and both sides are golden.

Get ready to relish the full mushroom experience! The stems of white button, crimini, portabella, oyster, and king oyster mushrooms are entirely edible and bursting with savoury goodness. These tasty stems add texture and depth to your dishes, allowing you to enjoy the whole mushroom with every delightful bite.

Oyster mushrooms are rich in antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids and phenolics. Antioxidants are substances that reduce or prevent cell damage in your body. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which are linked to diseases like cancer.

King Oysters are part of the same family as the regular oyster mushroom, but here the similarity ends. Both the flavor and texture are superior to its common cousin. The texture is possibly the meatiest in the gourmet mushroom world. There's fine chewing here.

When harvesting King Oysters, the mushroom is removed at the base of the stem and stored in clusters to increase shelf life. Fresh mushrooms keep for up to 10 days in the fridge while dried mushrooms keep for 6 months.

Are king oyster mushrooms healthy? ›

The mushroom has antiviral effects on the influenza and herpes viruses, among others, and is full of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B6, riboflavin (also known as vitamin B2), magnesium, calcium, iron, selenium and niacin. In short: the king oyster mushroom is rightfully one of our delicious vitality boosters!

This is the big one: Do not salt the mushrooms too early in the cooking process. Salting too early often draws out too much of the inherent moisture or liquid, which can be a bit overwhelming if you're a mushroom newbie making a large batch.

What are the white powders around the caps of my king oyster mushroom? The white powders are spores of the mushrooms. They are safe to eat. Just like white fuzz or white hairs, you can also wipe these powder off with a wet cloth or paper towel.

Never salt the mushrooms before cooking. Salt draws out moisture and will therefore make them extremely mushy. We want a nice meaty delicious bite to them with color and texture, so salt at the end always.

Versatile and delicious. In addition to offering potential health benefits, these mushrooms are prized for their culinary uses. All their parts are edible, including the caps, gills, and stems.

Some mycelium (the mushroom organism) like chestnut or oyster tend to grow on the mushrooms they produce and not just on growing media. So the white fuzz you see on mushroom stems is almost certainly mushroom mycelium, rather than mold. This is completely harmless, and won't effect the taste of your mushroom dish.

All types of oyster mushrooms can be eaten raw, but they are generally better when cooked. Raw oyster mushrooms have a spongy texture and a slight metallic taste that is eliminated when cooked. King oyster mushrooms are technically edible raw, but their dense and chewy texture makes them less enjoyable.