Shiitake no umani

Name: Shiitake no umani
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 8 dried shiitake mushrooms; 400 ml lukewarm water; 1.5 tbsp sugar; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp mirin

Simmered shiitake mushrooms

Shiitake no umani (椎茸の旨煮): dried shiitake simmered in their own soaking liquid until sweet and glossy

Features:

Vegetarian Dairy free Make ahead

Cuisine:

Japanese

These sweet-savoury simmered mushrooms are a fixture of Japanese bento and of osechi New Year boxes, and they are sliced into chirashi sushi and inari as well. The caps are rehydrated, then cooked in their own deep-flavoured soaking water with soy and sugar until the liquid becomes a sticky glaze. The common mistake is throwing away the soaking water, which holds most of the flavour. Chef's tip: soak the mushrooms in the fridge overnight if you can; a slow, cold soak gives a far meatier texture than a quick hot one.

Total time: 60 min
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 4

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Ingredients

Serves4

8 dried shiitake mushroomsmedium-sized, about 30 g
1 ¾ cups lukewarm water
1 ½ tbsp sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirincontains a little alcohol, which simmers off; alcohol-free: 1 tsp sugar plus 1 tbsp water

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What you'll need

Fine sieve

Spices & pantry

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Method

0/6 done

Step 1: Rinse 8 dried shiitake mushrooms briefly, then soak them in 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes, with a small plate on top to keep them under, until the caps are soft right through to the centre. For the best texture soak them overnight in the fridge.
30 min
Step 2: Lift out the mushrooms and squeeze them gently over the bowl. Pour the soaking water through a fine sieve or kitchen paper to leave any grit behind; you need about 250 ml.
Step 3: Cut off the tough stems. Leave the caps whole or halve the large ones.
Step 4: Put the caps and strained liquid in a small pan with 1 ½ tbsp sugar. Simmer over a medium-low heat with a piece of baking paper laid on the surface for 10 minutes.
10 min
Step 5: Add 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp mirin and simmer for another 15–20 minutes, until only a couple of spoonfuls of syrupy liquid remain and the caps are dark and shiny. Mirin brings a little alcohol that cooks off; use the swap if you prefer.
20 min
Step 6: Cool in the pan so they soak up the last glaze. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and pack cold.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 70 kcal
Protein: 2 g
Carbs: 14 g
Fat: 0 g
Fibre: 3 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does shiitake no umani take?: About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegan?: Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
Can I make it ahead?: Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?: Aubergine, diced, same weight.
What can I use instead of sugar?: Caster sugar, same amount.

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