I’m a mushroom lover. My brother is a mushroom hater. We didn’t have exposure to mushrooms growing up so I can’t explain why our paths took these different routes. I love the earthy, meatyness of mushrooms. He swears that he can tell if something has mushrooms in it even if they are cut up teeny, teeny, tiny. I have yet to put this “ability” of his to the test but I’m confident that I could slip some mushrooms past him without causing suspicion.
I think it’s the idea of them skeeves my brother out. To me that’s a sad reason to banish something from your diet without even giving it a try. Sure, I guess we all have our own food prejudices. I wouldn’t touch beets because they grossed me out in their pickled form. But then after I tried them roasted, I couldn’t get enough of them. My prejudice against pickled beets kept me from enjoying any beets for years. I only have myself to blame for that loss.
So to my brother, and any other mushroom haters out there, I say give the mushrooms a chance.
Butter Roasted Mushrooms
Adapted from A Thought for Food
BAH Note: It’s ok if the baking dish you use isn’t quite big enough for all the mushrooms to fit without being crowded. They will shrink as they cook.
- 2 pounds whole mushrooms, stems on
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoon butter
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a shallow baking dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the mushrooms are beautifully glazed with the sauce and slightly shriveled.
Bon Appetit Hon 