Spicy Mushroom Meat

Name: Spicy Mushroom Meat - Foraged
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American, Chinese, Mexican
Ingredients: 1 Blender; 1 Large Skillet with cover; 1.5 cups dried mushrooms; 1.5 cups water; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp soy sauce; 1 whole dried pepper [or 1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper]; 1/2 tbsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp wild spices & herbs [we used spiceberry, fennel, and peppergrass]; 1/4 tsp salt; 4-6 tbsp olive oil

This shreddy, savory mushroom meat is both practical and magical: it comes together quickly using only dry pantry ingredients – and you don’t even need to presoak the mushrooms. Use in tacos, dumplings, cheesesteaks, or anywhere you want a bit of meatiness and heatiness.

Overview:

Active Time

25 minutes

Total Time

25 minutes

Cost

Course

Entree, Main Course

Keyword

Dried Mushrooms, Easy, Mushrooms, Pantry, Quick

Cuisine

American, Chinese, Mexican

Yields

INGREDIENTS:

Spicy Mushroom Meat Ingredients

- 1 Blender

- 1 Large Skillet with cover

- 1.5 cups dried mushrooms

- 1.5 cups water

- 1 tbsp tomato paste

- 1 tsp soy sauce

- 1 whole dried pepper [or 1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper]

- 1/2 tbsp onion powder

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1 tsp wild spices & herbs [we used spiceberry, fennel, and peppergrass]

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 4-6 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

Step 1 - Blend the sauce ingredients

1. Blend the water, tomato paste, soy sauce, dried pepper, spices, and salt until smooth and homogenous.

Blend the sauce ingredients

Step 2 - Place the dried mushrooms in the pan

2. Place the blended liquid and dried mushrooms into a large skillet set over medium-high heat.

Place the dried mushrooms in the pan

Step 3 - Pour in the blended sauce

3. Pour the blended sauce and bring to a simmer.

Pour in the blended sauce

Step 4 - Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed & evaporated

4. Cover, and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated, 10-15min.

Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed & evaporated

Step 5 - Add olive oil to brown

5. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and let the mushrooms sit undisturbed to brown, 3-5min.

Add olive oil to brown

Step 6 - Repeat until mushrooms are deeply browned and slightly charred.

6. When the mushrooms have taken on crispy parts, stir the pan and repeat the process two more times with the remaining olive oil. The mushrooms should be quite dark with the occasional charred spot.

Repeat until mushrooms are deeply browned and slightly charred.

Step 7 - Roughly chop the mushrooms.

7. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and coarsely chop.

Roughly chop the mushrooms.

The best way to cook dried mushrooms.

We tested this with maitake, shiitake, wood ear, lobster, oyster, beech, enoki, yellowfoot chanterelles, chicken of the woods, and morels. Every time, we got a versatile and flavorful mushroom meat that is has all the chew and char needed for your favorite recipes. Try different spices and mushrooms, but keep the technique the same: simmer the dried mushrooms in a flavorful sauce until the liquid is absorbed, then add fat to the pan to brown the mushrooms all over.