We adapted this recipe from Big Bowl Noodles and Rice, by Bruce Cost with Matt McMillin (HarperCollins).
Cost likes to stuff dried black Asian"flower" mushrooms. Because these can be expensive and hard to find, we asked if we could try fresh shiitake mushrooms instead. Cost agreed, and we loved the results.
Look for shiitakes with caps that have rounded edges to better hold the stuffing.
Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 hr
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hr
Yield
Makes 4 (first course) servings
Ingredients
For stuffing
For sauce
Preparation
Step 1
Soak porcini in hot water in a glass measure until softened, about 30 minutes. Pour liquid through a paper towel–lined sieve into a small bowl to remove grit. Discard solids.
Make stuffing and fill caps:
Step 2
Put stuffing ingredients in a bowl and stir together in one direction with your hand until well blended.
Step 3
Arrange shiitake caps, smooth sides down and close together, on a work surface. Put 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a fine sieve, then dust tops of mushrooms. (This will help stuffing adhere.) Stuff shiitake caps with shrimp mixture, packing gently.
Make sauce and braise mushrooms:
Step 4
Stir together porcini liquid, oyster and soy sauces, salt, and sugar and reserve.
Step 5
Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add mushrooms, stuffing sides down, and cook until golden brown on bottom, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn mushrooms over and cook 2 minutes more.
Step 6
Add ginger and garlic to pan (between mushrooms) and cook 1 minute. Pour in reserved sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes.
Step 7
Transfer mushrooms to 4 small plates and keep warm. Boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes and spoon over mushrooms.
