Stop Adding Oil First—This Makes Mushrooms Golden Brown | Japanese Chef

The Fallacy of the Hot Oil Start

For many kitchen sections, the default response when sautéSautéTo cook food quickly in a small amount of fat over relatively high heat.ing mushrooms is to heat oil or butter in a pan and throw the sliced fungi straight in. However, this approach regularly yields disappointing results. Mushrooms behave like dense sponges; when they hit hot fat, they immediately absorb it. As they cook, they release their internal water, leaving you with a soggy, greasy product that boils in its own juices rather than browning.

Japanese chef Samukichi offers a counterintuitive but highly effective alternative: start with water instead of fat. By controlling the moisture release from the outset, you can achieve a deeply caramelised, plump, and juicy result every time.

The Water-First Browning Technique

The science behind this method relies on collapsing the mushroom's spongy cell structure before introducing fat. You begin by placing prepped white button mushrooms into a dry pan with a small splash of water—roughly twenty millilitres. As this water heats, it gently steams the mushrooms, softening their structure and drawing out their inherent moisture.

Once the added liquid and the mushrooms' released juices cook off entirely, the mushrooms will have shrunk slightly and their surfaces will be dry. This is the precise moment to introduce your cooking fat. With the cellular structure collapsed, the mushrooms can no longer absorb the fat like a sponge. Instead, the fat coats the exterior, allowing the natural sugars to caramelise rapidly and evenly.

Finishing with Fat and Aromatics

Once the mushrooms begin to take on a rich, golden-brown colour in a small amount of olive oil, the heat can be managed to introduce the finishing flavours. Add butter and minced garlic to the pan, basting the mushrooms as the butter foams. To finish, splash a small amount of soy sauce around the edges of the pan to catch the heat and release a deeply savoury aroma, followed by a touch of salt, lemon juice, and black pepper. This method ensures the garlic does not burn, the butter stays nutty, and the mushrooms remain plump and intensely flavourful without a trace of greasiness.