What do you use dried mushrooms for?
What do you use dried mushrooms for?
I've been getting dried wood ear mushrooms at an Asian grocery to add to ramen for a while, and it's a game changer. I just put it in a mug of boiling water for a few minutes and then add it into the soup.
I recently got some dried shiitake, and that's an ingredient that I wish I'd known about before. You rehydrate them in boiling water and leave them for a few hours. After that, squeeze them out and prepare them like fresh mushrooms. Retain the water that you soaked them in and you can use it to infuse that mushroom flavor into whatever you're cooking. I made a mushroom gravy over rice yesterday, and it was great.
I think even people who don't normally like the texture of mushrooms might enjoy them; they've got a bit more of a "meaty" texture than fresh ones, not quite so spongy. You can also grind them up while they're dry and add savory mushroom flavor to anything.
It's a great way to always have mushrooms on hand. Do you have a way that you like to prepare them?
Space Travel
Magic or Discovery. Or both.
I have seen dried mushrooms and never purchased them before. I love mushrooms but I only get them fresh which are mostly cremini and sometimes shiitake. I think I will have to purchase some because its great to just throw them into dishes.
When I'm making something with fresh criminis I like to rehydrate some motels and porcinis to throw in. Not necessarily because they're dried, I just never have those fresh. But they add such good, deep flavor and umami.
I could never get down with wood ears, sitting about the texture gives me the ick. But totally agree on shiitakes. Shiitakes and kombu soaked in water makes a great base broth–basically a vegan dashi. Sometimes I'll even just sip it with a dab of miso, like a savory tea.
The texture is my favorite thing about wood ears, but I can see why some people wouldn't like it; it's definitely not for everyone. I've got some miso garlic I've been fermenting, maybe I'll try to make a garlic and mushroom miso soup soon. Thanks for the idea!
I should look for some dried morels, I've heard they're delicious. I think mushrooms are some of the tastiest things on the planet.
If you have some really flavorful dried mushrooms, save the water you used for rehydration. Makes a great soup stock.
Rehydrated or fresh, I think most people undercook their mushrooms. Even bland supermarlet cremini/portobello is greatly improved by pan frying until it gets slightly crispy and seared.
About 10 years ago, I bought a ridiculously large bag of dried shiitakes online. I'm almost to the end of the bag now lol. Over the years, I learned to skip the step of soaking the shrooms in hot water if they were being added to soups or anything liquidy enough that was also being heated. So just throw them into your bowl of ramen before adding water and cooking, that way you get the extra flavor and save some time and energy
I keep a few 2 oz boxes of dried wild mushrooms around for pantry risotto, or to add to stews.
Dried chantrelles + gumbo = super yum.
I never thought of putting them in gumbo before.
I was actually just thinking this last weekend that I should try making a gumbo soon, I'll have to give it a shot!
I sometimes use them in beef stew, but the idea of using them to enhance the store ramen sounds great!
I'll throw all kinds of things in there: ham, fish balls, kimchi, egg (soft boiled or fried), bacon, sprouts, peas, corn, seaweed, whatever I have on hand. The wood ear mushrooms (sometimes called black fungus) are amazing in it, I pretty much always keep some on hand just for that.
I use Shiitake mushrooms for Bibimbap (Korean dish), super tasty!
That looks delicious! I'll have to give it a try sometime.