Cooking Shiitake

I guess this might fit here (but I wonder if we might want a separate Mushroom category??). Just wondering, do you do anything special cooking Shiitake? My experience is occasionally cooking buttons (simply cut, saute in oil or butter). I just picked up some Shiitake at a Food Coop (decided to go exotic instead of just buying the buttons) (besides, the Shiitake are so cute). Have looked online but so many “recipes” seem a bit over complicated. Searched here but if there is something posted it might be bured in a post. Don’t plan to grow them (yet) but want to expand my mushroom repertoire. Thanks, Sue

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I like to cook shiitake caps whole, especially the small ones you’d buy in a package at the grocery store because they will shrink less. I do gills up first and get them pushed down flat to cook evenly, then flip when liquid starts pooling and brown the gills. You can slice them after they cool a little bit if you want.

If you like them, they are totally worth growing. The strains they sell to home growers must be different because mine get bigger than portobellos sometimes. Big shiitakes are a whole other level for me, you can really brown them but still retain a nice chewy interior.

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One of my favorite treats is deep fried shiitake. Drop in a light tempura batter and over fry them a bit and they are really delicious.

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These are the only button mushroom i eat

My favorite is japanese style

equal parts shoyu and saki (or wine/vodka) drizzled with sesame oil and chili flakes fried on medium top down only with a lid to keep em moist.

You need alcohol for mushrooms always i think.

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Just chop or slice Shiitake’s up and add them in place of a portion of the button mushrooms you already use. The store bought ones are not over powering. Shiitakes will just add a deeper richer flavor to your dish.

If you want to highlight the flavor of shiitakes you just need to do a simpler dish. Try this one. Omit the oyster sause and replace it with soy sause( only because you want to mushrooms to stand out Oyster sause is really powerful and good)

Green Bean and Shiitake Mushroom Stir Fry • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways

Growing Shiitakes are fun
When a Nor'Easter fells a tree in the woods (Growing Mushrooms) - General Fruit Growing - Growing Fruit

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