Sake Mushrooms
This sake mushroom recipe was inspired by a stack of papers in my kitchen. There was a note that simply said: big mushrooms, dunk in sake, dredge in rice flour, sauté, salt, dot with miso butter.
Do you all keep piles of *very important things* around? Bills, notes, magazine clippings - that sort of thing? I do, but inevitably, the most important documents disappear into the depths of the piles. Because of this, I've taken to taping things to the walls of my house. It's a last ditch effort to keep important things in my line of sight and any flat surface is fair game - walls, cupboards, doors. Sometimes I find real gems! Including the inspiration for this sake mushroom recipe.
Sake Mushrooms: The Inspiration
While leafing through my kitchen “stack” the other day, I discovered a note to self. It was a recipe to try. The note simply said: big mushrooms, dunk in sake, dredge in rice flour, sauté, salt, dot with miso butter — Bruce Cole via Hank Shaw. Now I can't remember if I encountered it on Bruce's instagram feed (probably), but it sounded like a great idea.
I used my little note as a jumping off point. The mushrooms came together quickly, and I served them as part of a larger bowl. I tossed some cilantro with a bit of olive oil and shoyu, and then added toasted pine nuts as a salad component. A bit of tempeh was steamed while the mushrooms were cooking.
All in all, this resulted in an incredibly satisfying meal. The mushrooms become golden-crusted, tender fleshed coins of more, please. They're the sort of thing you might use to top a salad, or a tangle of soba noodles, or, if you want to venture out on the decadence spectrum, a dip in a bowl of yuzu aioli would do the job.
There are a lot of great other tips and variations down in the comments. Have a look for other ideas along a similar line.
Sake Mushrooms: What To Serve Them With
You can serve the mushrooms in a bowl along a few strips of tempeh steamed for 5 minutes, drizzled with a touch of shoyu (or soy sauce), and a cilantro salad. The cilantro salad was made with a particularly vibrant bunch of cilantro trimmed of any ragged ends, and picked over for any wilted leaves. Wash and dry well, toss with a splash of olive oil, a drizzle of shoyu or soy sauce, and sprinkled with a handful of toasted pine nuts. They’re also great as part of a rice bowl, on top of a bowl of creamy polenta, as a topping on baked potatoes, or in place of the tofu in these vegan fish tacos.
More Mushroom Recipes
- Mushroom Ragù
- Mushroom Lasagna
- Stuffed Mushrooms
- Mushroom Scallops
- Baked Mushrooms with Miso Butter
- Mushroom Casserole
- all mushrooms recipes
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Sake Mushrooms
If you don't keep sake on hand, you can also use the same technique with a dry white wine and regular flour. Also, Eric Gower noted a fantastic suggestion in the comments below: grind up raw rice using a mortar and pestle, and use that for a nice crust in place of the rice flour. I use king trumpet mushrooms here, but most mushrooms you’re able to slice into flat slabs would work nicely. The more flat surface you have, the more tasty browning you'll get.
- 1 cup of rice flour
- scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced 1/3-inch thick
- 1 cup of sake
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon room temperature butter
- 2 teaspoons miso
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
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Combine the rice flour and salt in a wide, shallow bowl. Dunk each mushroom slice in sake, dredge in rice flour, shake off any loose flour and arrange on a plate or rack. Repeat until all of the mushrooms are coated.
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In your largest, widest skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and butter. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer in the skillet, and allow to cook until the bottoms are deeply golden. Use a thin metal spatula to flip the mushrooms, and cook the other side until golden as well.
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While the mushrooms are cooking make the miso butter by combining the room-temperature butter, miso (I used a red miso here), and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Mix until uniform.
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Serve the mushrooms dotted with miso butter, on their own, or as part of a bowl, described in the post up above.
Serves 2-4.
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Mushroom Scallops
To make mushroom “scallops” keep your eyes peeled for big mushrooms! So worth it. Slice king oyster mushrooms into scallop-shaped rounds and saute until tender and golden. Toss with a flavor-packed mixture of onions, cherry tomatoes, ginger, garlic, lime and a a special sauce.
Baked Mushrooms with Miso Butter
Baked mushrooms are the ultimate low-lift creation. Here, mushrooms are tossed in a simple ponzu marinade, topped with cubes of butter and citrus slices, then baked into perfection in a hot oven.
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Comments
I’m cracking up over your organization technique. We just instituted something similar for tax season–everything important goes in a file folder tacked to the wall by the front door. Thus far it’s working.
And these mushrooms look divine! I’m always excited to see new uses for the gluten-free flours kicking around my pantry.
I tried these tonight using baby portobellos, and Earth Balance in place of the butter, and they were phenomenol! Almost like tempura but with tons more flavor. My five year old scarfed them down too, and normally he avoids mushrooms. Thanks for the life-changing recipe!
these are the bomb…I used trumpet mushrooms…
this (the mushrooms) remind me of a favorite Grace Young recipe for braised shitakes. not fried, so a different, tender-chewy-meaty texture, but splendid. the combination of mushrooms + sake is so, so good.
this (the lists, the piles, the tape) reminds me of myself, and my house, and my surfaces. there is something to be said for visual aids. but also, for doing what needs to be done. (not my strong suit).
i have a fresh trove of trumpets in my fridge, as i type, destined for this. tomorrow will, therefore, be great.
thanks for this, heidi!
xo,
molly
Wow. Why have I not made mushrooms like this before?? SO good.
I had these tonight alongside a plate of brown rice, lightly stir-fried broccoli and grilled pumpkin. (Also miso soup with silken tofu.) The miso butter was lovely on the pumpkin as well as the mushrooms.
One tip for anyone without sake!! I used Chinese rice wine, which worked well, but if your rice wine is salted, don’t add extra salt to your flour! They were just a bit salty for me (but balanced by the broccoli and rice which were sans-salt.)
great shots — and i really like this take on mushrooms. perfect for this time of year. simple and flavorful. can’t wait to try. thanks for the inspiration.
Very tasty, I tried the wine and plain flour version ( as that’s what I had to hand) and really liked it as a way of getting crispy tasty mushrooms. I’m looking forward to trying the asian style soon.
Ohhhh yes. This is just gorgeous. Definitely one to be eaten by the spoonful 🙂
I confess that this recipe is probably not one I’ll try and my comment is about the notes.
I am a computer programmer and a “hate clutter” person. Thank goodness for diversity…it makes the world go ’round :)!
A week ago a friend asked me for advice on managing her to do list and her exact words were “something like sticky notes” for my phone and computer.
I saw one comment above that talked about EverNote and that is what I suggested to my friend who has happily transitioned from sticky notes to EverNote and tells me it has streamlined her errand running.
I actually use OneNote but I am an “all Windows” house and my friend is an Apple/Android house. EverNote is better across platforms.
Now, I know that not everyone wants to abandon paper and written notes, etc. But… if anyone reading wants to explore a pen and paper alternative…take a look at EverNote. Free. Apps for all platforms. Your notes, scans, etc. available from all devices.
Mushrooms are on the top of my list. Love them in anything….and cilantro salad, YUM!
Ditto to @thefolia. A great collaboration!
Such an inventive and refreshing dish. I’ve never steamed tempeh, only roasted or sauteed it. BTW, I absolutely LOVE your pomegranate-glazed eggplant with tempeh. 🙂 Yes, you make us all feel human, but you still manage to come across as having such clarity and purpose in everything you do!
The recipes you post are ingenious in the way that they are totally different yet strangely familiar at the same time. Instant classics all of them and so simple you knock yourself in the head and wonder it hasn’t been done before. Thank you!
Was thinking about soaking some dry mushrooms for this…maybe with a little sake in the water (and then just imagine how good that liquid will be post soaking!)
Hard grain alcohol, flour dusting and frying…sounds like saganaki! This looks like a great collaboration.
Looks great! Can you give some recommendation on buying/preparing tempeh? Each time I’ve experimented I am disappointed by the results. Either the ferment flavor is overpowering or it is bland.
Hi Kate – I really love what steaming does to the texture of tempeh. If you start out with good tempeh the gentle heat makes it puff and lighten quite a bit. From there you can drizzle with soy sauce, or simmer the tempeh in something more dynamic. I was lazy about the steaming part for a long time, but the tempeh I have in Japan is nearly always steamed to start, and delicious. Here are a few tempeh recipes in the archives, the orange-glazed is quite popular.
It must be in the air, like the sudden appearance of a bumper sticker on a car in front of yours that reflects what’s been tossing around in your sub conscious for years. I’m staring at the walls all around my desk-pinned with notes, blank index cards filled with useable words, and ideas and important mind burps and projects, not to mention the crafting of ongoing books. Even my early 19th century print of George Washington is covered from the knees down. I can’t help but wonder, WHAT would he think about all of this? Fun to have you ‘out there’.
You make us feel so human. Love your recipes and your lifestyle. Smiles and thanks.
Thanks Ani!
You can add virtually anything to mushrooms and I will love them. Wicked idea!
I am quite taken with the butter/miso/sesame seed dressing for these mushrooms. An unusual east/west tasty topping.
I am glad to know I am not the only one who does this. so many piles! I also have the taping method, but soon you run out of space! can’t wait to try this recipe. xo
I’m an Evernote fanatic and user too. I made the promise to myself to kill off the unnecessary paper. Handwritten recipes/magazine articles get snapped with the cameraphone and the paper discarded.
On a different note, this sounds like a lovely recipe and a step up from beer battered mushrooms.
I love mushrooms, and sake 😉
I’m actually the extreme opposite and throw everything away. It pains me to even hold onto tax stuff & receipts it’s an OCD clutter thing 😉 my husbands idea of organizing his appointments and bills is w the sticky note method. Drives me crazy! 😉
I have to ask. What about keeping your notes etc. on a smart phone or tablet? There’s an app for that! 😉
Inspired indeed, thanks Heidi. Perfect time because we’re getting serious mushroom popup populations here in Marin. I’m thinking the mushrooms might be great supercrispy, so I might do as directed except instead of rice flour I’ll use ground up raw rice, one of favorite ways to create a crust. I’m betting that a big pile would be great atop some carbonara, too.
Not a surprise – brilliant suggestion Eric. I’ll add to the head notes in case people have trouble sourcing rice flour.
I used regular flour and the sake. Used the same sake-flour dredge for tofu. Great combination. Next time I will try rice flour and see how it is different.
I love this! Could be a side, a topping, an impaled-by-tooth pick hors d’oeuvre… and it’s easy. Right up my alley with all the time I know I won’t have from now on. And I feel you on the piles… I’ve inherited the habit form my mom. No flat surface is safe. But I’ve managed to contain my piles to whatever serves as my desk – sadly, these days, the dining table! Thanks for digging this up, taping it to the wall, and sharing!
My kids joke that I’m a level 4 hoarder. Piles of important notes and papers? Try mountains. Many of which are recipes, though nothing as delightful as these mushrooms. I am going to ignore my piles and invite myself over to your house for lunch…(just kidding).
I am such a mushroom lover, especially in Asian-inspired dishes. I’m also a terrible “pile maker” (sitting beside a huge stack of ugly papers as I write this. ) I think I’m going to have to try your tape tactic–nothing else has worked yet!
I tape notes to my face. Wish I was kidding.
LOVE these sake bowls!
This mushroom preparation looks and sounds divine. I could have done wtihout the idea to tape notes all over, as I already do that on the inside surface of my cabinet doors. Now I’m very fearful they will start appearing all over the place, in full view! Wonderful post, as always. Thank you for sharing this!
This looks amazing! Miso, mushrooms and sake are three of my absolute favourite tastes! Any suggestions for a vegan version? I was thinking maybe some mashed avocado would pair nicely or maybe tahini? And my kitchen is AWFUL, I barely have space to cook because it is covered with “notes-to-self”, shopping lists, recipes and other miscellany!
This recipe would be ethereal if you used Matsutake mushrooms!
I try to tame my piling tendency by using the Evernote app to at least keep must-have recipes together. It’s one less pile of papers among the many. 🙂
I am guessing your beautiful bowls are from Heath Ceramics.
This looks SO LOVELY! It also sounds like it’s time for a scanner and Evernote!
I love your photos of taped up things on your wall and cupboard door (unfortunately I took my doors off because I was always banging my head on the open doors and i like to see my dishes and daily use things rather than hiding them away.) .you have inspired me to find more places to stick things at eye level so I don’t miss/lose them
I live in Mexico, my walls are bumpy, tape won’t stick. So I have to live with the piles of paper, which I file occasionally or I’d have to move out. Love the mushrooms, want them now but I think the ones in my refrigerator have gone bad, probably because I was too busy looking for somewhere to put the new recipes. Oh well.
This is too much! Wish I was there. ❤️
The mushroom + sake + rice flour combo is very innovative, I’m intrigued.
Talking about important documents that disappear into the depths of the piles. I have so many stacks of papers precariously placed around my room I have to slalom between them every night to reach my bed. But that’s the kind of chaotic life I’ve decided to live, and I’m fine with it.
I’m always trying new recipes – the try-now stack just gets bigger and then I have a TRY-NOW stack on top of that…
Then the problem is my folder with recipes I really liked – used to be able to find one I remembered but that folder is getting too full – now I have a separate folder for good Indian recipes and one for middle-eastern recipes…
I need a separate kitchen for all the winner recipes! I also figure all those ideas are somewhere in my head and sometimes I can just put things together on my own because of what I have done before – I’m getting old anyway so what the heck. My husband asks if we can please have a dish I have made before that he really liked but I’m on the treadmill of new recipes. So many new things to find with access to more food blogs!
I do this all the time. I have piles of notes for stories, articles, books. Bills, notices, magazines, clippings, etc. etc. My wife goes crazy and moves them! Oh no! Don’t move them!
Thanks, I’m glad I’m not the only one. Lovely recipe as well! Also, I like the pink tape.
I might not be sticking up notes as lovely and set out as yours; but I know the pain of being surrounded by paper note walls. Life is just sometimes way too busy.
I am glad you found this recipe; my mum did the same thing but with Chinese cooking wine and sesame oil. I would love to try this Japanese inspired version. The tender smoothness of mushrooms is melting by the steep in wine. Really a simple winner.
I’m a huge mushroom lover, and am always looking for new and interesting ways to enjoy them, and this sounds fantastic. I’ll definitely be trying this.
As for the sticking up notes, I used to do this. I’ve now started using a to do list where I can schedule things so I remember them. The app I use is called Todoist and it’s great.
We must have been telepathically communing from across the street – tonight I just kind of impromptu made some thinly sliced turnips, radishes and daikon parboiled and then tossed in miso butter w/sesame seeds. Just one of those spur of the moment, let me try this out kinda things.
Cheers Steve
Where do you get your beautiful bowls?
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