Beoseot-bokkeum (Stir-Fried Mushrooms)

Mushrooms punish impatience. Put them in a warm pan and they sigh out water, then sit there gray and tired. Put them in a hot pan, give them room, and wait until that water cooks away, and they become themselves again: chewy, browned at the edges, savory enough that they don't need a heavy hand.

Beoseot-bokkeum (버섯볶음) is weeknight banchan (side dish), the kind that fills one small plate beside rice, soup, and kimchi. My mother made it when the market had a good basket of pyogo (shiitake) or neutari (oyster mushrooms), and later my teacher made me cook it three times because I salted too early. She was right. Salt too soon and you pull out water before the mushroom has a chance to brown.

Tonight this dish asks for heat, patience, and restraint. Tear the mushrooms by hand where you can, because ragged edges brown better than smooth knife faces. Cook the onion until sweet, cook the mushroom until dry, then season lightly. 손맛 is real; I measure it anyway, so the mushroom still tastes like mushroom next time too.