Dried wild mushrooms are like a present that you get to open twice: when you cook with them, not only do you get to use one of the richest, most savory, most complex foods there is, you also get their broth, which is a treat to use now or later in whatever you like.
Plus, they look as pretty as they taste:
I found some dried porcini mushrooms at the farmer’s market a few weeks ago, early in January when otherwise there wasn’t much there. I came home with a ziploc bag full, which I expect will last a while. I love porcinis especially, because they have a very dark, meaty flavor, but chantrelles, morels, shiitakes, and others are all an equally good buy.
You can find dried wild mushrooms in most grocery stores, especially higher-end ones. They are expensive – don’t look at the price per pound! – and they come in small bags, but when you’re cooking with them, a little goes a long way. These dry, shriveled things pack a whole lot of flavor.
To use dried mushrooms, put them in a bowl and cover them with warm water. Then just let them sit for about 15 minutes, until they’ve absorbed the water and become soft and squishy. Then fish them out, chop them up, and add them to your cooking. But save the liquid! Carefully pour it off into another container (dirt and debris from the mushrooms will sometimes settle to the bottom of the liquid – don’t be grossed out, but don’t save those bits, either) and stick it in the fridge.
You can put dried mushrooms in lots of things – just about anywhere you’d use regular button mushrooms. In fact, one of the best ways to use them is alongside button mushrooms, to enhance the flavor while the cheaper mushrooms provide most of the substance. Try:
- Add them to soup (porcinis make the best mushroom soup you’ll ever taste)
- Putt them on pizza
- Add them to stir fries (especially shiitakes)
- Stir them into risotto
- Put them into pasta sauce, or just serve them over pasta, sauted with a little butter
You can use the liquid anywhere you’d use stock – and since you can use stock almost anywhere you’d use water, there are lots of possibilities. You can use it with the mushrooms, or for extra flavor in another dish. It’s especially good:
- In soups
- In risotto
- In the cooking water for rice or pasta
- In sauces and gravy
If you’ve never used dried mushrooms, you’ll be amazed how much they boost the flavor in a dish. They’re like a secret weapon of deliciousness.
One pitfall: don’t hoard them. I have a bad habit of not using them except on the most special of occasions… but they’re not that pricey when you use them in small quantities. And when you let them get pushed to the back of your pantry, you’ll forget they’re there. So get them, and use them!