Shiitake Mushroom Recipes

Soaking dried shiitake mushrooms

Soaking in cool water: this is a battle of patience. It usually takes 6-10 hours or even longer. Larger mushrooms may need to soak for 12 hours or more. This method is suitable for those who like to prepare in advance, such as starting to soak the first night and enjoying that freshness from the inside out by noon the next day. Although soaking in cool water takes longer, it retains the maximum amount of freshness and flavor components of the mushrooms, filling every bite with the gift of nature.

Warm water soaking: If cool water soaking is a slow process, warm water soaking is the perfect balance of time and efficiency. Wash the dried shiitake mushrooms and add them to water at about 30 degrees Celsius, with the roots removed and the caps placed cap-side down in the water to soak. In about 30 minutes to an hour, the shiitake mushrooms will become soft and pliable. This method retains the nutrients of the shiitake mushrooms while dramatically increasing the speed of soaking, and is one of the most common methods I use in my daily cooking.

Hot water soaking: For those who need to use shiitake mushrooms in a hurry, hot water soaking is definitely a good option. Although it takes about 7 hours, it's still a much shorter time compared to soaking in cool water. Soak the shiitake mushrooms root-side down and gently scrub them to remove any adherents once they have softened. However, it should be noted that soaking in hot water may result in the loss of some of the nutrients and the flavor may be slightly inferior.

Fast soaking: sometimes, time is like an uninvited guest that catches people off guard. That's when quick soaking becomes a lifesaver. Add dried shiitake mushrooms to a container, pour in hot water at about 50 degrees, cover and simmer for one minute, then shake quickly up and down for five minutes before removing for use. While this method may not soak as fully as other methods, it can definitely help in an emergency.

Mushroom Gluten

-Ingredients

Dried shiitake mushrooms 40g

20 pieces of gluten

Half a green pepper

1 tablespoon of sweet noodle sauce

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

-Method

1. Wash the dried mushrooms and soak them in warm water.

2. Cut green pepper into small pieces and set aside, cut gluten with a knife.

3. Squeeze the soaked mushrooms dry and cut into small pieces.

4. Heat the oil in a hot pan and sauté the mushrooms.

5. Put in the gluten, add the mushroom water, cover and bring to a boil, flatten the gluten with a spatula.

6. Add sweet noodle sauce, soy sauce and stir-fry well, simmer for three minutes.

7. Add the green pepper pieces and stir-fry evenly to remove from the pan.

Radish and Shiitake Mushroom with Bean Curd in Casserole

-Ingredients

250g of white radish, 50g of bean curd bamboo

Black fungus, 1/2 carrot

2-3 dried shiitake mushrooms, cilantro, grated ginger

Soy sauce, salt, vegetable powder to taste

-Directions

1. soak the dried bean curd, fungus and mushrooms in water in advance, rinse and squeeze out the water; rinse and cut the white radish into 1.5cm square pieces, cut the carrot into small pieces, cut the dried bean curd into small pieces, tear the fungus into small pieces, and cut the mushrooms into slices.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and mushroom slices.

3. Add soy sauce and stir-fry until the sliced mushrooms have a nice color.

4. Pour the sliced mushrooms and oil into a casserole dish.

5. Add water and bring to a boil.

6. Add all ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes, until the radish is soft and mushy.

7. Season with vegetable and fruit powders, and add chopped cilantro to enhance the aroma.

Shiitake Mushroom, Seaweed and Bean Curd Soup

-Ingredients

Kelp, tofu

Taro, dried shiitake mushrooms

Sesame oil, salt, vegetable powder

-Method

1. Wash the dried mushrooms, soak them in warm water and cut into pieces.

2. Peel and cut taro into cubes, soak kelp in water.

3. In a casserole dish, add water and all ingredients except kelp.

4. Bring to a boil and add kelp when it is almost cooked.

5. When kelp is cooked, add sesame oil and seasonings to taste.