Serves 4-5 | Preparation time: 10 minutes and 30 minutes to soak rice | Cooking time: 40 minutes
Recipe and Article by Kanako Koizumi
Matsutake is in season in the Northwest! At Uwajimaya and some local grocery stores, you can find an abundance of different sizes and shapes of local matsutake now. Matsutake is known to be the most prized mushroom in Japan. It is considered the most expensive, sought-after mushroom. Because of its status and price, it is only available at high-end Japanese restaurants as a seasonal specialty and not casually available for home cooking. So it’s amazing to see those matsutake at local stores outside Japan. The prices are still very expensive compared to other mushroom varieties, but I feel lucky to live in the part of the world where this precious delicacy is accessible to enjoy during the harvest season.
Have you heard a Japanese saying “Nioi Matsutake, Aji Shimeji”, which literally translates “Matsutake for the smell, Shimeji for the taste”? It does not discredit the delicate flavor of matsutake but rather emphasizes the incredible aroma that matsutake renders.
There are a number of recipes in which you can enjoy the wonderful matsutake, but to fully appreciate the rich aroma, I personally think simple ingredients and recipes such as either matsutake gohan or soup would be the best. Matsutake Gohan (rice cooked with matsutake) is very easy to make, and the leftovers can be stored in the fridge or freezer so that you can enjoy the dish for extended time. This one is a winner to me!
Ingredients
- 3 Japanese rice cups (note: one Japanese rice cup equals 180 ml) or 2 ¼ U.S. cups short-grain rice
- 1 sheet of kombu
- 2 tsp. sake ■1-2 tsp. salt
- 4 oz. fresh matsutake
- 1 bunch mitsuba, chopped (optional)
Instructions
① Put rice in a large bowl and add water to cover. Without stirring much, discard water. With your hand, polish rice gently using a circular motion. Add fresh water to cover rice, stir, and drain. Repeat these steps a few times until water is clear.
② Drain rice well and transfer to an electric rice cooker or a Dutch oven.
Using a rice cooker
③ Put sake and salt in rice cooker. Add water to the 3-cup line. Place kombu and sliced matsutake on top of rice.
④ Soak the rice and mushroom mixture for 30 minutes.
⑤ Remove kombu and cook rice as described in the instructions.
⑥ Fluff rice, mixing with matsutake. Serve warm. You can sprinkle chopped mitsuba as garnish. You can make rice balls with leftover rice and freeze for the next time you crave it!
Using a Dutch oven
③ Put soy sauce, sake and salt in a 1-quart measuring cup. Add water to the 2 ½-cup line. Pour into the Dutch oven and place kombu and matsuake on top of rice.
④ Allow rice to soak for about 30 minutes. Remove kombu.
⑤ Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off heat and leave lid on for another 15-20 minutes.
⑥ Fluff rice, mixing with matsutake. Serve warm. You can sprinkle chopped mitsuba as garnish. You can make rice balls with leftover rice and freeze for the next time you crave it!
Recipe by Kanako Koizumi | www. kozmokitchen.com
