I think the reason people get upset about washing mushrooms is because they incorrectly believe that the mushrooms will absorb a ton of water, which they demonstrably do not. Alton Brown showed this on Good Eats back in the day.
People who do not wash their vegetables/fruits are literally consuming pesticides & dirt. Wash your produce children. Or perhaps they're the same people who cook with olive oil (which is really soybean oil in the US) or other rapeseed products past their smoking points and thus are eating cancer on a plate. Would make a lot of sense actually.
Whenever there's a "rule" about cooking that I don't agree with, I just say "my kitchen, my rules". Plus ATK did a test to see if washed mushrooms actually absorbed a significant amount of water and they don't. I think that's a myth that some Italian grandmas made up because they were too busy to wash their mushroom :)
Exactly. I think Ted Allen tested this too on his kitchen-mythbusting show. Another old wives' tale refuted. Mushrooms are somewhat porous, and maybe don't let them soak in a bowl of water for hours... but a regular wash and dry will do them no harm.
Alton Brown also tested it back during the Good Eats show, they do absorb a TINY amount of water but it's so little it's a joke not to... A whole few seconds of cooking time at best unless you let them soak for long peroids.
I think it is also because "mushrooms" is a wide term encompasing many different cases. These paris'mushrooms dont "need" washing (because grown in controlled caves and you ll peel them anyway) Some mushrooms "require" washing: cepes, bolets, coprins Some are just a crime to wash (as in bath in water before cooking) such like morels or death trumpets. In the end it is mostly because few people know mushrooms. The most common doesn t require it but isn t negatively impacted by washing. The others requires knowledge in how to handle them to best bring out the flavours.
Jamie, you're very enjoyable to watch. And I think there is educational value to watching you struggle through the recipes. Its a refreshing style as compared to other cooking demonstration videos that are polished and overly edited. In the true spirit of Julia, you help to demystify the process and give timid cooks courage. So, keep up the good work.
Awwww, I never heard of adding egg yokes to my mushroom soup…or,lemon…. I’m making mushroom soup,tonight. I’m a gonna add egg yolk,but,nooo lemon. Thank you.
I make this soup all the time, piece of advice, add in some wild mushrooms like porcinis or lion's mane, or oysters if you can find them... Or even a couple of slices of truffles! You can even use the dried version for this without issue. Makes a lot of difference on the taste!
Yeah .. go down to the Asian market .. they are usually well-stocked with the 'shrooms .. throw a few different varieties in to make the soup really come alive .. cheers!
@@itzel1735 With dry mushrooms, I usually rinse them well under cold water, and then let them rehydrate for around half an hour in a bowl with warm tap water. After that I boil them in the same water (which should be brown) until the water has evaporated, and then I treat them like fresh shrooms for the rest of the recipe. It's basically impossible to overcook mushrooms.
I'm SO pleased you found the TV clip that PROVES Julia washed her mushrooms before using them. I'm well up for making this but it will have to wait until tomorrow when I have the heavy cream...and parsley. I'm sure lots of people have mentioned this. You bear a striking resemblance to Aaron Paul [Breaking Bad fame]. I just love you working with Julia. Fabulous combination. Keep up with the series.
So far, this is my favorite episode. It's all about the ghost of Julia vindicating your mushroom care by literally appearing from the other side. 😁 But seriously, the editing is marvelous and then when the voice-over continues on, it just felt really cool, a legit emotional arc. People watch a few RU-vid cooking videos and they think all of the sudden this is their area of expertise. I love that you do it your way (And Julia's) and are just like "hey don't do it if you don't want to." Only 2:35 in but had to pause to write this. Carry on.
My grandma was a professional cook as well as both of my parents, I can find my way around the kitchen enough to make some decent meals but by no means as good as my family. I'm not a fan of mushrooms at all but I was always taught to wash them directly before using them. The only exception that I may consider is if I grew them myself and did it organically. I can't believe people would be so upset with you for something so silly as that. (But don't wash them and then store them in the fridge for a few days). I totally enjoy watching your videos and look forward to seeing all that you create. Thanks for such great content.
I made this tonight after I received this book for my birthday gift. After the nightmare of converting the measurements and halving them, my other half said this is the best thing I have ever cooked!
A little late, but a friend of mine worked at a restaurant and the way they washed mushrooms was to fill a Tupperware halfway with water, add like a spoonful of coarse salt, add the mushrooms, cover it up, then “shake it like a Polaroid picture🎶” for like 10 seconds. Then, drain the dirty water out and rinse quickly with clean water and dry it with a clean cloth or sometimes using a salad spinner.
I’m not surprised that all the soups you have made from Julia Child’s recipes have been great. With good ingredients, seasoning and technique, it’s hard to make a bad soup. Since I got my Instant Pot in 2017, I’ve actually been shocked how good my soups are. The last time I had soup at a good restaurant (about two years ago!) it just didn’t measure up to my homemade soups.
Goodness man... I've only been watching your channel for a few months, but having the old clips is amazing. However, hearing the intro of her laughing then saying "bon apetit"... I had to listen to over and over and just crying (with a smile!) At every replay. This is a go to recipe for me. Thank you so much 💓
In case you are wondering, her laugh and utensil drop at the intro is from her 1970s omelet episode. She begins to cut a dish she recently had in the oven and touching the hot playe yelps and laughs.
@@anneclark1330 didn’t realize they were so high a percentage of water 💦 have the idea that, perhaps, a famous French cook told a prep cook not to wash (many, many years ago) and the instruction was doinked to “never” and “water logged” to justify in cook book 🤔🥸
OMG, I think I’m in love ❤! You had my heart when you said you wash your mushrooms. I wash those suckers CLEAN. Cause you know what they grow those little suckers in right? I just found your channel and I can’t stop watching 😅, keep SLAYING IT! XOXO
Jamie I have been making this recipe for years; over time I have found that I prefer my mushrooms cut in quarters or eights....giving a different mouth feel that the traditional cut. I have also made a variation where I used potatoes as a stock/thickener to make a change from lovely roux base....thanks for your vlog😋
I have been binge watching you channel for the past 6 months. I have yet to have gotten bored. Thank you so much for taking the time to be making these videos and thanks for being awesome. Also, always wash the mushrooms. 😂😂
Jamie unlike you this was the very first recipe I ever made from mastering the art of French cooking. I was stunned at how complicated it was to make what I thought would be as simple cream of mushroom. But after it was done I was delighted at my accomplishment and how amazingly well it tasted. It made me want to make several more child's recipes. Which I did but not nearly where you have gone and I'm jealous and happy to be a subscriber of your channel. Also by the way even though I realize you've had a gazillion more recent videos and I'm responding here I hope you see this. You know America has crap competition cooking shows Britain and some others have better. Jamie you are ready to enter a competition cooking show. Please do it would be awesome.
In case y'all are wondering.... THIS soup is what you use when you make green bean casserole (thickened with corn starch, of course), and THEN it is a delicious dish!
Here’s the deal on mushrooms. 🍄Back in Julia’s heyday, mushrooms were grown in sandy soil - hence her advisory to wash to remove sand. Today ‘shrooms are cultivated in sterilized, sand-free peat moss which is only used once - thus dispensing with the necessity of washing cultivated mushrooms. Those preferring to avoid eating sterilized peat can wash them with no detriment other than potential darkening of the outer skin. If you’re like me and don’t plan to eat them raw, such discoloration is inconsequential because they darken with cooking anyway. Fungi such as morels must ALWAYS be thoroughly cleaned prior to consumption because they’re not yet cultivated en masse and harbor dirt and insects. Obviously the same rules applies to wild mushrooms. Also, the fins of Portobello can be quite bitter - and the best way to remove stray bits of the underside is to give them the plunge after scooping them.🍄 HOWEVER: If you intend to store your mushrooms prior to consumption, do not wash them as the moisture will promote spoilage. The price of mushrooms and the speed of spoilage has given rise to this blanket advisory to refrain from washing commercial mushrooms, which has been blown completely out of proportion.
I was making this today just using my knowledge of how to make soups and decided to check your recipe because I remember how much you liked it. They way I was going to make it is pretty much exactly how you (Julia) did it except for the egg yolks. So I'm glad I checked in because I really want to do that. I'll be it adds a whole different level of richness to this dish.
You inspired me, thank you! Just made this soup and it's everything you described. After watching through several of your other videos, this felt like one of Julia's "simpler" recipes. You helped me get over that hurdle (and fear haha) with this video.
I used to be one of those zealots who called people out for washing mushrooms. But then I went to cooking school in France and worked in a restaurant in Paris and they always wash mushrooms. So now I always wash mushrooms. I think it’s all about being efficient with time. If you want to spend 20 mins carefully cleaning each mushroom with a cloth, knock yourself out. Id rather spend that time cooking and eating.
Mushrooms that have been wild harvested (hunted) in France should indeed be washed. Mushrooms common to America are grown in sterile peat environments. js
I watched this last night and absolutely had to make it today. We just finished dinner and it was amazing! Definitely worth the effort and is the "gold standard" by which any other cream of mushroom soups will be judged. BTW, I've always rinsed my mushrooms. Never had any issues doing so.
As someone who's spent years mushroom foraging ALWAYS wash your mushrooms, even supermarket ones. They're full of dirt and there's literally no disadvantage, the idea it changes them negatively in anyway is bull.
back again for my yearly mushroom soup from (@ANTI-CHEF apparently you sir!) - just realized that I was here this time last year...once again, have a great prosperous new year - until next year, be safe and take care!
Mushrooms absorbing a lot of water when washed is a partial myth, and because they are grown in dirt, they should be washed. Some are grown in mulch or manure, and really need to be washed to remove the potential parasites that live in the dirt. If you are cooking them the extra water doesn't even matter because you need to remove the large quantities of water mushrooms naturally contain. Only very fragile and/or expensive mushrooms should not be washed, such as Chanterelles, truffles, King Trumpets, etc. But washing white button or portabella mushrooms, which are technically the same mushroom with the white one being grown in the absence of light, is fine.
Definitely going to try this but with some plant-based milk and veggie stock as I have a family history of cancer and need to avoid all the estrogen in dairy and heavy metals in animal broths--thanks for posting
Jacques Pépin, “wash mushrooms, but use immediately” and Alton Brown did tests for how much water is absorbed, which was about none - only issue i’ve seen is they gets slimy if washed and reserved
I wash mine in a sieve (don't use a fine mesh strainer) with a bowl. Fill the bowl up with water and quickly immerse the mushrooms and swoosh it around with your hands to remove the grit. Lift the sieve from the dirty water and shake off excess water.
Whenever I cook mushrooms, I first put them in a pan with some salt and a tiny bit of water. Once the water is mostly gone I then add either butter or oil. They always end up perfect, not rubbery at all.
you've had 4 months to make this recipe... so how did they turn out? scale of 1 to 10. Don't tell me you *didn't* make this soup! Please! don't say that. how dare you say you were going to make this...and 4 whole months later you didn't make it! Constanza! TELL ME! good soup??? I need to know.
Thanks for this video. I love cream of mushroom soup but decided long ago that the canned stuff has too much stuff I don't want added to it. I'd especially like to try this with wild-harvested maitake mushrooms (aka hen of the woods) if I can ever find some again. Also loved how the mushrooms kept trying to make a break for it. 😆
You basically want to wash the mushrooms right before you cook them. And yes, you do want to wash them. Mushrooms can have dirt on them, and I'm sure no one wants that on their plate or in their mouth.
I'm particularly amused by people raging about "not washing mushrooms" when those mushrooms are heading straight for a wet cooking method anyway XD I always wash my 'shrooms, even if I'm gonna fry them. Works a charm, and they release a ton of water anyway, weather I wash them or not. So might as well get them clean the easy way.
Go forth and wash those mushrooms! Thanks to Julia I now always wash my mushrooms and find they cook better - not sure the sorcery behind that fact, but don't care, it works, they are delicious and I will forevermore wash the shrooms 🍄👍🏼🍄😄🍄
Re: washing mushrooms. If it's good enough for Alton Brown (and Julia, of course,) it's good enough for me. I believe Alton did a segment of "Good Eats" on this.
