Thread: Pre-roasting mushrooms for topping a pizza

On 9/25/2012 5:28 PM, Bryan wrote:
> The moisture in some pizza toppings can make the pizza watery on top,
> so I'm pre-cooking the mushroom slices on a piece of foil in my
> toaster oven. Other added toppings are going to be fresh Hatch
> chilies and onion. I cut the pepper into rings, and I'm going to pre-
> cook them a bit as well, the same way. The onion will go on last,
> raw.
> ........
>
> OK, it's in the oven now.
>
> ........
>
> It turned out well. It wasn't so much that the veggies were
> thoroughly cooked, as that they were not soggy. Another advantage for
> the mushrooms is that not only were they somewhat dessicated, but they
> were pre-shrunk, which made it easier to fit more on. Other than the
> extra hassle, I can think of no downside to pre-roasting veggie pizza
> toppings. I suspect that several of you here will think I've
> reinvented the wheel, because I'd be very surprised if I was the first
> person to do that.
>
> --Bryan



Canned mushrooms make a pretty good pizza topping. They are preshrunk,
and although they are soggy they dry out (without burning) as it bakes.

-Bob

On Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:28:43 -0700 (PDT), Bryan wrote:

> The moisture in some pizza toppings can make the pizza watery on top,
> so I'm pre-cooking the mushroom slices on a piece of foil in my
> toaster oven.

I like the texture of slightly simmered shrooms better. They also
shrink up and lose moisture that way. It's also a prerequisite for
marinated mushrooms.

Pizza places usually put the fresh mushrooms on top so that the water
in the mushrooms evaporates(*) rather than weeping onto the pizza.

-sw

(*) "burns up", for Mike.

On Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:33:27 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:

> Canned mushrooms make a pretty good pizza topping.

Yep. Same effect as simmering them. I prefer them that way.

-sw

On Sep 25, 5:47*pm, Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
> On Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:28:43 -0700 (PDT), Bryan wrote:
> > The moisture in some pizza toppings can make the pizza watery on top,
> > so I'm pre-cooking the mushroom slices on a piece of foil in my
> > toaster oven.
>
> I like the texture of slightly simmered shrooms better. *They also
> shrink up and lose moisture that way. *It's also a prerequisite for
> marinated mushrooms.

I reserve the slang term, "shrooms," for psyocybes.
>
> Pizza places usually put the fresh mushrooms on top so that the water
> in the mushrooms evaporates(*) rather than weeping onto the pizza.

And that works for thinly sliced mushrooms, but if you want more than
one veggie topping like peppers, and even onions, the weeping exceeds
the evaporation. My concern with simmering is the loss of flavor into
the water, and if I did that, I'd feel like I should retain that broth
for another use. I bought into the whole, "Don't you know people are
starving in Korea?" before Alice Cooper sang those words, but I
digress. Drying the mushrooms concentrates their flavor.

I put the mushrooms on first, then the more lightly pre-cooked peppers
second, and the onions on top, so that the onions would get toasted,
but not mushy. The only thing I will do differently is drying the
mushrooms less by slicing them less thinly.
>
> -sw
>
--Bryan

On Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:36:17 -0700 (PDT), Bryan
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sep 25, 5:47*pm, Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
>> On Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:28:43 -0700 (PDT), Bryan wrote:
>> > The moisture in some pizza toppings can make the pizza watery on top,
>> > so I'm pre-cooking the mushroom slices on a piece of foil in my
>> > toaster oven.
>>
>> I like the texture of slightly simmered shrooms better. *They also
>> shrink up and lose moisture that way. *It's also a prerequisite for
>> marinated mushrooms.
>
>I reserve the slang term, "shrooms," for psyocybes.
>>
>> Pizza places usually put the fresh mushrooms on top so that the water
>> in the mushrooms evaporates(*) rather than weeping onto the pizza.
>
>And that works for thinly sliced mushrooms, but if you want more than
>one veggie topping like peppers, and even onions, the weeping exceeds
>the evaporation. My concern with simmering is the loss of flavor into
>the water, and if I did that, I'd feel like I should retain that broth
>for another use. I bought into the whole, "Don't you know people are
>starving in Korea?" before Alice Cooper sang those words, but I
>digress. Drying the mushrooms concentrates their flavor.
>
>I put the mushrooms on first, then the more lightly pre-cooked peppers
>second, and the onions on top, so that the onions would get toasted,
>but not mushy. The only thing I will do differently is drying the
>mushrooms less by slicing them less thinly.

Lissen up children, iffn yoose want concentrated flavor and less
moisture simply use dehy 'shrooms hydrated to your liking.

Most pizzarias use ordinary canned sliced button 'shrooms but the
better joints use fresh sliced portobello, nice n' meaty.

I never order button 'shroom topping (canned or fresh), it's like a
total waste. I don't care for an assortment of toppings all thrown
together on one pie, I typically choose just one, maybe two. Anyway
my favorite is pizza puttanesca, lotsa 'chovie.

On Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:28:43 -0700 (PDT), Bryan
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Other than the
> extra hassle, I can think of no downside to pre-roasting veggie pizza
> toppings. I suspect that several of you here will think I've
> reinvented the wheel, because I'd be very surprised if I was the first
> person to do that.

I've never experienced your wet topping conundrum, prefer my veggie
toppings crunchy if at all possible and have never had a problem of
any kind with mushrooms. There are things I'd consider roasting
first, like tomatoes and maybe onions, but mushrooms wouldn't be on
the radar screen.

--
I take life with a grain of salt, a slice of lemon and a shot of tequila

Bryan wrote:

[...]
> extra hassle, I can think of no downside to pre-roasting veggie pizza
> toppings. I suspect that several of you here will think I've
> reinvented the wheel, because I'd be very surprised if I was the first
> person to do that.

I'm sorry to inform you that you're not the first, check this out:

"CAMIONISTA (pomodoro, mozzarella, gorgonzola, bufala, salsiccia, peperoni
grigliati, zucchine grigliate, olive nere, cipolla rossa)
.................................."

Peperoni grigliati are oven roasted bell peppers, as zucchine grigliate are
oven roasted zukes
It's the CAMIONISTA (truck driver) pizza from this list
http://www.aostapizzapazza.it/img/li...e_compatto.pdf

A viewable example of these verdure grigliate, bell peppers + eggplants +
zucchini, is here:
http://www.rolli.it/italiano/prodott...?cat=18&id=190
http://www.photoevolution.it/content...igliati001.jpg
--
Firma predefinita

Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> On Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:36:17 -0700 (PDT), Bryan
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Sep 25, 5:47 pm, Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:
>>> On Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:28:43 -0700 (PDT), Bryan wrote:
>>>> The moisture in some pizza toppings can make the pizza watery on
>>>> top, so I'm pre-cooking the mushroom slices on a piece of foil in
>>>> my toaster oven.
>>>
>>> I like the texture of slightly simmered shrooms better. They also
>>> shrink up and lose moisture that way. It's also a prerequisite for
>>> marinated mushrooms.
>>
>> I reserve the slang term, "shrooms," for psyocybes.
>>>
>>> Pizza places usually put the fresh mushrooms on top so that the
>>> water in the mushrooms evaporates(*) rather than weeping onto the
>>> pizza.
>>
>> And that works for thinly sliced mushrooms, but if you want more than
>> one veggie topping like peppers, and even onions, the weeping exceeds
>> the evaporation. My concern with simmering is the loss of flavor
>> into the water, and if I did that, I'd feel like I should retain
>> that broth for another use. I bought into the whole, "Don't you
>> know people are starving in Korea?" before Alice Cooper sang those
>> words, but I digress. Drying the mushrooms concentrates their
>> flavor.
>>
>> I put the mushrooms on first, then the more lightly pre-cooked
>> peppers second, and the onions on top, so that the onions would get
>> toasted, but not mushy. The only thing I will do differently is
>> drying the mushrooms less by slicing them less thinly.
>
> Lissen up children, iffn yoose want concentrated flavor and less
> moisture simply use dehy 'shrooms hydrated to your liking.
>
> Most pizzarias use ordinary canned sliced button 'shrooms but the
> better joints use fresh sliced portobello, nice n' meaty.
>
> I never order button 'shroom topping (canned or fresh), it's like a
> total waste. I don't care for an assortment of toppings all thrown
> together on one pie, I typically choose just one, maybe two. Anyway
> my favorite is pizza puttanesca, lotsa 'chovie.

I like Italian sausage, mushrooms, black olives, and roasted red peppers, on
a thin crispy crust with lots of cheese.

I prefer it heavy on the toppings, so I toss the mushrooms in with the
sausage near the end of cooking. This keeps them from watering out. Drain
the olives and peppers well, and it's all good.

I like anchovies too, but more on salads than pizza. To me, a really good
Caesar salad comes with a nice fan of white anchovies to completent what is
in the dressing.

MartyB

MartyB