Matsutake gohan
Or an approximation thereof
I am not cottagecore
Fall in the Pacific Northwest makes for perfect mushroom foraging conditions. With many temperate rainforests a stone’s throw from Portland, both novice and seasoned mycologists are richly rewarded in their hunts.
That being said, if you know anything about me, you know that I hate being damp, and it generally doesn’t occur to me to go outside. Trees are great, I guess, if you’re into that sort of thing. I love mushrooms, conceptually. The fact that the largest organism in the world is a gigantic mushroom 2000-acres long is iconic, and we stan. But I hope you’ll forgive me if I leave the foraging to the professionals.
So, what follows is a recipe hack for those of us without access to one of the finest fungi, matsutake mushrooms. You can, of course, use matsutake for this recipe. And, in fact, you should. But if they’re too expensive or too elusive to be within reach, this one is for you.
*Insert Toad scream*
Matsutake are treasured in Japanese cooking. They have a remarkable sort of piney, vegetal, bosque-iness. I know this only because an older Japanese woman who I volunteer with literally put one under my nose, and not by any merit or accomplishment of my own. But I get it! I really do. Smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em. Meanwhile, I will be living my simulacral forest fantasy from the comfort of my studio apartment kitchen.
I devised my take on this recipe with powdered shiitake to scam my way to a stronger mushroom flavor. I know that mushroom powders exist in some spice aisles, so feel free to use those. Otherwise, do what I did and blend or grind some dried shiitake. These are readily available at Asian grocery stores, and are both a fraction of the price of those found at fancier markets and of comparable flavor. If you use matsutake, omit the mushroom powder and cackle at the rest of us from one of the turrets of your castle.
This is the kind of thing I imagine is eaten at ryokans and rural settings in Japan. I have no empirical basis for this because, unlike many white YouTubers, I’ve never had the resources to afford a trip to my motherland. But! It’s elegant simplicity and judicious use of ingredients is just very kawaii-desu oishii daijoubu sempai.
Matsutake gohan
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon powdered shiitake mushroom
1 teaspoon hondashi
1/2 cup matsutake (or non-button, non-cremini, non-portobello) mushroom (I used king trumpet)
Short-grain white rice, enough for four servings
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Strain the mixture. Following your individual rice bag’s instructions for stovetop or electric rice cooker, add the liquid to the rice and top off with water to the requisite volume. If using a rice cooker, sprinkle the cooked mushrooms atop the rice without stirring; the rice will cook more evenly this way. If cooking on a stovetop, you have my sympathies — what must it be like to live without an electric rice cooker? Can’t relate.
Serve as an accompaniment to other dishes, as a breakfast topped with fried egg, or formed into an onigiri uwu.