Sauté

Braised Shiitake Mushrooms

by:
October 19, 2023
4
1 Ratings
Braised Shiitake Mushrooms
Photo by Tim Morrish
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 25 minutes
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

The usual way of treating mushrooms—as is taught in most French culinary schools—is to not let them come in contact with a single drop of water. Each mushroom is painstakingly brushed or peeled to clean them while keeping them dry, then piled into a ripping hot pan with oil. The idea is that without added moisture, the mushrooms should caramelize and pick up color. Unfortunately, as the mushrooms cook, they begin to release moisture, which then gets in the way of browning.

This recipe takes a different approach that’s been a staple of mushroom cookery in Chinese kitchens of boiling the mushrooms, slowly reducing the liquid, and finally searing them off with added oil. The science has been outlined by Cook’s Illustrated and even made rounds on TikTok via @jimboilsmushrooms. In short, first boiling the mushrooms accelerates the expulsion of moisture from the mushroom so that browning can happen more quickly. In addition, the liquid that the mushrooms cook in quickly become a flavorful broth with proteins and sugars that caramelize at the bottom of the pan, so that towards the end of the cooking process, there’s already a flavorful sauce. —Lucas Sin

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 pound (450 grams) shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and washed
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon (5 grams) neutral oil
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Directions
  1. Place the mushrooms in a wok or skillet and cover with water. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, letting the water turn brown and reduce until totally evaporated, around 15 minutes.
  2. Once the water has completely evaporated, scrape the bottom of the wok or skillet with a wooden spoon to release the mushrooms.
  3. Add the oil and let the mushrooms caramelize, tossing for about 2 minutes. Add another ½ cup of water and continue to scrape up the fond. Let the liquid reduce again, by half. Add the scallions and garlic and let the mixture braise for about 1 minute.
  4. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.
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1 Review

AlanG
AlanG December 21, 2023
I would have given this recipe a 4.5. I was a little worried that the mushrooms would still be hard after the water boiled off as they seemed pretty firm when I was pressing down on them with my spatula. But pleasantly surprised that they were firm but not tough. I did reserve some of the liquid, maybe a quarter cup, before it all boiled off. I added a tablespoon of oyster sauce with the reserved liquid at the end. Very nice flavor and a fairly simple dish to make.