How to Cook With Shiitakes

How to Cook With Shiitakes

Mushrooms have an umami flavor, offering a savory base note to dishes. This can be especially helpful when making vegetarian dishes. Shiitake mushrooms are often sold dried. You can soak them in hot water, soften them and then cook with the mushrooms and mushroom water. To select the best dried shiitake mushrooms, look for ones that are sold whole, rather than sliced. The caps should be thick, with deep, white fissures. You can find excellent tips on selecting, prepping and cooking with dried shiitake mushrooms in this article. When cooking with fresh shiitake mushrooms, remove the stems, which remain tough even after cooking. Save the stems in the freezer for making veggie stock.

You can cook with shiitakes as you would any other mushroom.

Here are a few suggestions:

Sauté shiitakes with greens and serve with a poached egg.
Add them to pasta dishes or stir-fries.
Use them to make a flavorful soup.
Roast them for a crispy snack or side dish.