Cook these meaty oyster mushrooms right, and they make for a satisfying sandwich
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Cooking is often a matter of managing moisture: keeping it in when you're cooking meat, driving it out when you're cooking vegetables.
The latter is true even for members of a prized category of plant-based cooking that are actually in-between plants and animals: fungi such as mushrooms. Their flesh is so spongy, you need to get rid of at least some of that water before they'll brown, and if you don't they can become a soggy mess rather than their savory ideal.
Two key steps to accomplishing this: Get your pan superhot (so any released moisture evaporates quickly), and avoid overcrowding them. I also like to cook them undisturbed for a bit, rather than sauteing, so they have a chance to sear and brown. That's not always the easiest thing to do with oyster mushrooms, which are anything but flat. So I was intrigued by a recipe in Rita Serano's latest cookbook that calls for you to top them with a weight as they cook - a la chicken under a brick.
I used a smaller cast-iron skillet, setting it on top of the mushrooms as they browned in a grill pan, and then turned them over and put the skillet back on top. When the moisture started releasing, I took off the top skillet so it wouldn't trap that evaporation. The result: deeply browned, caramelized mushrooms with a firm-but-juicy texture.
What to do with them? There are tons of options, of course, from salads to grain bowls to tacos. But for this recipe, Serano has you pile them on soft burger buns with a red pepper mayo spiced with smoked paprika. When the mushrooms are cooked this well, it's best to stay out of the way and let them shine.