Yaki Shiitake (Sautéd Shiitake Mushrooms)

Let's savor the umami of shiitake mushrooms with Yaki Shiitake. This simple yet delightful dish allows you to enjoy the rich flavor and aroma of shiitake mushrooms. With just a simple tip, you can make it moist and tender.

Jump to:

• What is Yaki Shiitake?
• How to choose good quality shiitake mushrooms
• Optiomal cookware
• Optional condiments and toppings
• 📋Step-by-step recipe
• Tips on how to make
• Recipe card

What is Yaki Shiitake?

Yaki Shiitake is a dish in which fresh shiitake mushrooms are sautéed (or grilled) and topped with a small amount of soy sauce or ponzu (citrus-seasoned soy sauce). "Yaki" means to sauté or grill, and "Shiitake" refers to shiitake mushrooms. This recipe includes a steaming process to make the shiitake moist and tender.

Shiitake mushrooms contain rich umami components such as glutamic acid and guanylic acid, and in Japan, this dish is known as a delightful way to fully appreciate their concentrated umami flavor. It is very easy and quick to make, so feel free to give it a try.

How to choose good quality shiitake mushrooms

When purchasing fresh shiitake mushrooms, choose the best ones available. You can assess their quality based on only two appearance factors:

• The gills should be white.
• The stems should be thick.

Please note that if the gills have turned brown, it is a sign that the shiitake mushrooms are no longer fresh and should be avoided.

Optiomal cookware

When making yaki shiitake, it is recommended to use a frying pan with a lid. Using a grill, oven, or toaster oven can cause the moisture in the shiitake mushrooms to evaporate, resulting in a dry texture.

I used to cook them in a toaster oven for quite a while, and there was a time when I struggled to get them cooked properly. To achieve a tender and moist texture, it is essential to add steaming, which requires a frying pan with a lid.

Optional condiments and toppings

Yaki shiitake is commonly enjoyed with a small amount of soy sauce or ponzu. It can also be enhanced by squeezing citrus juice such as sudachi, kabosu, or lemon over it to taste. Sprinkling shaved bonito flakes (katsuobushi) on top adds a more traditional Japanese flavor.

Furthermore, adding butter, Japanese mayonnaise, or cheese can give this dish a unique twist. The combination of the vitamin D in shiitake mushrooms with the calcium found in butter, mayonnaise, and cheese complements each other well, aiding the body's absorption when consumed together.

📋Step-by-step recipe

Ingredients

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Instructions

🕒 Total: 15 mins mins

Step 1
Pat shiitake mushrooms dry with a paper towel to remove any dirt, then trim off the stems. Sprinkle salt on the gill side and let them sit for about 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

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Step 2
Heat oil in a pan. Sauté the shiitake mushrooms, cap-side up, over medium heat for 3 minutes.

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Step 3
Flip the shiitake mushrooms, cover the pan, and continue cooking for 3 more minutes.

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Step 4
Turn off the heat and transfer the shiitake mushrooms to a plate, taking care not to let their juices spill. Drizzle a few drops of soy sauce over each mushroom.

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To Store

You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Tips on how to make

• Do not rinse the shiitake mushrooms. Rinsing them will wash away their flavor and make them watery.
• When cooking shiitake mushrooms, place them cap side down towards the end of the cooking process. The moisture released during cooking contains concentrated umami flavor. By cooking them with the cap side down at the end, you can retain the flavorful moisture on the gill side. Do not discard the shiitake extract; enjoy it along with the shiitake mushrooms.
• Do not overcook the shiitake mushrooms. Overcooking will result in a dry texture. Shiitake mushrooms hardly brown, so it is difficult to determine doneness by appearance alone. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor the cooking time.

Recipe card