"1UP Mushroom" Mushroom Burger!

Step 1 Prepping the Patties

First, wash your hands!

Then wash your produce!

Washing is important!

If you are deciding to use the portabello mushroom caps, then here's an extra step. As most foodies know, portabello mushrooms, when cooked, turn black and muddy. This is because of the dark gills on the underside of the mushroom caps. They also tend to burn easily and make the whole thing taste a bit burnt and bitter (a little like gasoline). To avoid this, use your fingers and rub off the gills. Do this over a running faucet and the gills come off fairly easily.

Dice! Dice! Dice! Chop the onion into itty bitty pieces. To be exact, I would say into less-than-1/4" rough square pieces. Now, chop the mushroom caps into the same rough size. Add the chopped mushrooms, chopped onion, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and the olive oil into a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and the pancake mix together until the lumps are gone. Add it into the mushroom mix.

I know that the pancake mix sounds weird-- usually, people use breadcrumbs, flour, or cornstarch as a binding agent. I personally like the buttery taste of pancake mix. (It's great for making fritters and veggie pakora too!)

Mix the whole thing well until the pancake mix and egg are well incorporated into the mushroom bowl bonanza.

Comments

[heydavis]

One additional IMPORTANT tip: Always store mushrooms refrigerated in paper (unwaxed or unlined) bags or plastic net bags (like those in which garlic or shallots are often sold), and NEVER in plastic or other non-breathing bags or sealed containers!

[heydavis]

'Shrooms need to "breath", but one of those special produce bags would be ok, not the "special" overpriced ones in the infomercials, but those with many tiny holes. White ones especially will keep longer if there's good air circulation, but in a sealed plastic bag they can turn to a disgusting pool of glop in very few days. Some Agaricus bisporuss that got lost in the back of a reefer shelf dried and dried until they shrank from 1 - 1½ inches to the size of a cranberry. Pop 'em in a stew and they add lots of flavor and soak up the broth as they reconstitute, but remain some what chewy. Yum!

[corndawg49]

i dont really cook alot but that looks like a nice burger

[FunkNattidelic]

I usually do store my 'shrooms in paper bags, but why is it not good to store them in plastic bags?

[heydavis]

One tip on using the grossly-over-priced "Portabello" mushrooms: Buy the smaller tan/brown Crimini mushrooms instead (same size as the commonplace white button mushrooms). They are exactly the same species! Before some marketing genius decided to "invent" and market the Portabello name, those versatile and delicious giants were relegated to processing into mushroom powder, soups and other mushroom flavored prepared foods. They grow in every Crimini mushroom bed and always have! The great thing about the Crimini species (usually marketed in sizes from ½" to 2½" caps — anything larger magically transformed into "Mini-Portabellos, at twice the price) is that if the caps are still closed (gills not showing) they will slowly dry out in the refrigerator, becoming smaller and smaller, until they are dry enough to keep at room temperature. Keep them in a net bag in a well ventilated area until they are totally dry. Weeks later they can be added to stews or just reconstituted by soaking in water or broth. They are a far better choice, more flavorful and "meaty-like" than those pathetic white mushrooms that turn to a disgusting slimy mush if not used-up in a very few days. It is ironic that the markets charge more for Criminis since it is the "ancestor" from which the pristine whites were bred, and they are natural and easy to grow.

[momo!]

I get my produce from a CSA delivery service where every week they send you a box of whatever is in season from local farms. (Not because I'm the hardcore organic type, but because I'm moderately lazy :P). And it just so happens that portabello was in the box. If I were to go spend extra money on the mushrooms for the patty, I would've chosen to use plain old white button mushroom mixed with oyster mushrooms.