White Mushroom Recipe

Clean the mushrooms: wipe each white button mushroom with a damp paper towel to remove dirt. Trim and discard tough stem ends; if mushrooms are large, quarter them so pieces are roughly uniform.

Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the fat is shimmering, add mushrooms in a single layer (you may need to cook in two batches to avoid overcrowding).

Let mushrooms sear without stirring for 2–3 minutes so they develop a golden color, then toss and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they release liquid and begin to brown, about 6–8 minutes total per batch.

Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper while cooking.

Prepare aromatics

While mushrooms cook, finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Strip thyme leaves from stems and finely chop parsley.

When the mushrooms are browned, push them to the side of the pan (or remove and hold on a plate if you cooked in batches). Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the empty space in the skillet. Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt; sauté until softened and translucent, about 4–5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and thyme and sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic.

Return the mushrooms to the pan if you removed them, stir together with the aromatics, and adjust seasoning with remaining salt and pepper to taste.

Deglaze: increase heat to medium-high and pour in the white wine (if using). Scrape up any browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon and let the wine reduce by about half, 1–2 minutes. If not using wine, skip to adding stock.

Add the stock and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes to concentrate flavors. For a creamier finish, stir in the heavy cream and simmer 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened (optional).

Stir in the lemon juice and grated Parmesan (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Remove from heat and fold in the chopped parsley. Serve immediately as a warm side, over toasted bread, tossed with pasta, or alongside grilled protein.