Mushroom ‘caviar’

Perhaps it’s misleading to call this caviar, because it’s cheap and cheerful, simple and versatile. And of course, with mushrooms it’s always going to be healthy – even super healthy, depending on which mushrooms you use.

This is a great hack. All it takes is patience. And your mushrooms, of course. It doesn’t matter whether they’re dried (soaked first) or fresh, although they react slightly differently in the pan.

Why make mushroom caviar?

  • Sprinkle over toppings
  • Use in baked goods
  • Mix with kefir or yoghurt for a drink or small ices

For humans, add a bit of garlic oil and seasoning, then sprinkle over salad or pasta dishes, or mix with breadcrumbs as a topping for an oven bake or a crumb on baked fish. So many different uses…

And they keep in the fridge for a couple of days (if they last that long!).

What to do:

For fresh mushrooms:

Blitz the mushrooms in a food processor, put in a dry pan. Add herbs – here I used finely chopped parsley, but you could ring the changes with thyme 0r rosemary, and fry on a low heat. The point is, all of the moisture is slowly removed from the mushrooms, leaving a toasted crumb-like texture.

For dried mushrooms:

Rinse and soak the mushrooms for a few hours or even overnight. I precooked mine briefly in the soaking water and then drained them. Keep the soaking water – it’s full of nutrients! After they’ve dried off, follow the same procedure: blitz and cook in a dry pan. You’ll find that they don’t lose as much moisture as fresh mushrooms – keep an eye on them so that they don’t catch in the dry pan.

Here, I used soaked and cooked dried shiitake mushrooms with parsley.

Ingredients: the benefits at a glance

Mushrooms are low in calories but rich in nutrients. They provide dietary fibre to support digestive health, B vitamins (especially B2, B3 and B5) which aid energy metabolism and brain function, and minerals like selenium, copper and potassium that contribute to immune defence, antioxidant protection and muscle function. They also contain unique antioxidants such as ergothioneine and glutathione, which help protect cells from oxidative stress, and beta-glucans, which are linked to immune support.

Cooking and the nutrient profile:

  • Drying shiitake: some heat-sensitive vitamins (notably vitamin C) are lost, but minerals (selenium, copper, zinc, potassium, phosphorus) and stable compounds (beta-glucans, ergothioneine) are concentrated.

  • Soaking: water-soluble B vitamins and some minerals leach into the soaking liquid — which is why we keep it!

  • Dry sautéing: most minerals, beta-glucans, and ergothioneine remain stable. B vitamins can degrade with prolonged or high heat, but a short dry sauté at moderate temperature causes only modest loss. The main change is flavour development, not major nutrient depletion.

Another doggy favourite!

Important Considerations:

  • Always consult your veterinarian before making any significant dietary changes, particularly where there are pre-existing health conditions or dietary restrictions.
  • If you are feeding commercial food, check the label for ingredients before giving more. Excessive intake of any foods can have adverse effects.
  • Ensure (where possible) that you use high-quality, organic products specifically formulated for pets (or better still, human-grade ingredients) to avoid any potential adverse effects.
  • Introduce new foods gradually to avoid adverse effects such as gastrointestinal upset or diarrhoea.
  • I provide nutritional information purely as a helpful guide. Nutritional information on ingredients is obtained from the US Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central site (https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html) and any nutritional information provided in recipes is based on an online calculator: calories and other information will vary based on brands, ingredients and other factors.
  • Check nutrient levels and recommendations for your dog’s weight, age and activity. For example this nutritional guideline produced by FEDIAF.
  • I am not a professional canine nutritionist but supporting research is cited.
  • The recipes shared were created by me and tested in my kitchen – and tasted and approved by our doggy friends!

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