How to Cook Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms have a meaty flavor due to the high concentration of glutamic acid in them. This amino acid, also known as monosodium glutamate (MSG), gives a flavor unlike the more commonly encountered sweet, salty, bitter or sour. This fifth flavor, umami, becomes further concentrated into the shiitake mushrooms when dried, but before cooking them, you must reconstitute the mushrooms. The liquid used to rehydrate the dried mushrooms makes a flavorful broth as the soaking liquid has pulled some of the umami flavor from the mushrooms. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Reconstitute three ounces of dried shiitake mushrooms for each pound of fresh mushrooms required in a recipe.
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Place the mushrooms into a bowl. Pour water over the shiitakes to completely cover the mushrooms. Use boiling water to soak the mushroom if using them in a recipe also requiring the addition of extra water or broth. Opt for cold water, which does not draw as much flavor from the mushrooms as hot water, to cover the mushrooms if your recipe requires only using the shiitakes and not added liquid.
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3
Let the mushrooms soak for 20 to 30 minutes before removing them from the soaking liquid with a slotted spoon. Save the liquid for use in the recipe or for a later use as a flavorful broth.
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4
Set the reconstituted shiitake mushrooms on a cutting board and trim off the stems, placing them in the soaking liquid to add flavor, but remove them from the liquid before cooking. Do not use these woody parts of the mushroom in your recipes as they have too tough of a texture.
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Cut the tops of the mushrooms and use as you would fresh shiitake mushrooms in any recipe, especially those which require a long, slow cooking time to fully develop the flavors of the mushrooms.
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