Shiitake Dashi 干し椎茸の戻し汁

Ingredients

• 3 dried shiitake mushrooms (20 g; See Notes)
• ½-⅔ cup water (120-160 ml) (enough to cover mushrooms)
• 3 dried shiitake mushrooms (20 g; See Notes)
• 2 cups water (480 ml)

Directions

1. Gather all the ingredients. Check if there are any dust or dirt trapped under the gills of the mushrooms, and if there are, use a pastry brush to clean. Do not wash it under water.
2. Ideally, you want to make shiitake dashi ahead of time. Place the mushrooms in a mason jar or an airtight container and pour cold water to cover the mushrooms (and wet them). Let them soak in the refrigerator for a few hours or preferably overnight. However, if you are in a hurry, place the mushrooms in a bowl and soak them in warm water (body temperature) for 15 minutes or until softened. Put something heavy on top of the mushrooms so that they will be submerged under warm water and become fully re-hydrated.
3. When shiitake mushrooms are tender, squeeze to drain, reserving the liquid.
4. Rehydrated shiitake mushrooms are ready to use. Remove and discard the tough stem of the mushrooms with a knife. You can use these rehydrated shiitake mushrooms as if you use raw shiitake mushrooms.
5. Run the soaking liquid through a fine sieve (catch any dirt etc). Use the concentrated shiitake dashi for cooking, by adding in the sauce, steaming, seasoning, etc. No wasting!
6. If you plan to save for later, you can store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and 1 month in the freezer.

How to Make Shiitake Dashi

1. Gather all the ingredients. Check if there are any dust or dirt trapped under the gills of the mushrooms, and if there are, use a pastry brush to clean. Do not wash it under water.
2. Soak the shiitake mushrooms in 2 cups water. If you have time, let them soak in the refrigerator for a few hours or preferably overnight. If you’re in a hurry, soak them in warm water for 15 minutes or until softened.

After soaking for several hours…

1. When shiitake mushrooms are tender, squeeze to drain, reserving the liquid.
2. Rehydrated shiitake mushrooms are ready to use. Remove and discard the tough stem of the mushrooms with a knife. You can use these rehydrated shiitake mushrooms as if you use raw shiitake mushrooms.
3. Run the soaking liquid through a fine sieve and use it for cooking (this is the shiitake dashi). If you plan to save for later, you can store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and 1 month in the freezer.

Notes

Dried shiitake mushrooms: This can be found in Japanese/Asian/Chinese grocery stores. The weight of each dried mushroom varies from 5 grams to 10 grams depending on the size and thickness.

Rehydration of dried shiitake mushrooms: It’s recommended to use cold water to soak dried shiitake mushrooms to slowly bring out the flavor from mushrooms preferably overnight.