How do I stop mushrooms going soggy in a pan?

Soggy grey mushrooms and deep golden ones come from the same ingredient. The difference is entirely about whether the water gets out of the pan.

Step by step

1. Understand the water.Mushrooms are around 90% water. In a pan it comes out, and until it has evaporated the temperature at the surface cannot rise above boiling — which means no browning.
2. Use a big pan and a single layer.The most important step. Crowded mushrooms release more water than the pan can evaporate, so they sit and steam. Cook in two batches rather than one crowded one.
3. Get the pan properly hot first.Medium-high before anything goes in. A cool pan lets water pool rather than driving it off.
4. Do not salt them early.Salt draws water out. Adding it at the start floods the pan at exactly the wrong moment. Season once they have browned.
5. Leave them alone at first.Let them sit for a couple of minutes before stirring. Constant movement stops any one surface staying in contact with the pan long enough to colour.
6. Expect the liquid, then wait it out.They will release water and look wrong. Keep the heat up — it evaporates, then the mushrooms shrink, then they brown. Most people give up at the wrong-looking stage.
7. Add butter at the end, not the start.Butter early burns while you are waiting for the water to go. A little oil to start, butter at the end for flavour and browning.
8. Do not soak them.Mushrooms absorb water. Brush or wipe them, or rinse quickly and dry. Soaking adds exactly the liquid you are trying to remove.
9. Cut them evenly and not too small.Even pieces cook at the same rate, and thicker slices survive the shrinkage. Thin slices disappear to almost nothing.
10. Add garlic and herbs at the end.They burn during the long browning stage. Once the mushrooms are coloured, a minute is plenty.
11. Deglaze afterwards.The browned residue in the pan is concentrated flavour. A splash of wine, stock or water lifts it and makes an instant sauce.
12. Try dry-frying first.Some cooks start with no fat at all, drive the water off, then add butter. It works well and uses less fat.

Tips

• Two batches, not one crowded pan. That single change fixes most soggy mushrooms.
• Salt at the end. Early salt draws out water exactly when you are trying to evaporate it.
• Push through the wet stage. It looks wrong, then the water goes and they brown quickly.

Common mistakes

• Crowding the pan — Too many mushrooms release more water than the pan can evaporate, so they boil in their own liquid and never brown.
• Salting at the start — Salt draws moisture out, flooding the pan at the point when you most need it dry.

If it doesn't work