Preparation

Rehydrating Dried Shiitake (Gills Down, Weighted)

Soak dried shiitake gills down under a plate in cold water. They swell evenly and keep their umami.

Rehydrating Dried Shiitake (Gills Down, Weighted)
Difficulty: 1
Heat: none
🧹 Preparation

Key Points

Rinse fast, do not soak in the rinse. Keep the caps fully under. Save the liquid.

Common Failures

Floating caps stay hard on top. Hot water makes them soft but the flavor thin.

Do this

Rinse the caps quickly. Lay them gills down in cold water. Press them under with a plate, then chill 8 to 24 hours.

Why it works

Dried caps float and dry out on top. Gills down, the thin side drinks first. The plate keeps every part in the water.

When to skip it

Skip the long soak for thin, sliced shiitake. They soften in about 20 minutes of cold water.

Recipes to try

Chikuzenni (Simmered Chicken and Root Vegetables)
recipe

Chikuzenni (Simmered Chicken and Root Vegetables)

Japanese Uses this technique
Shiitake Dashi (Dried Mushroom Stock, Soaked Cold Overnight)
recipe

Shiitake Dashi (Dried Mushroom Stock, Soaked Cold Overnight)

Japanese Uses this technique

The ideas behind it

How Dried Shiitake Build Umami (Guanylate)
fundamental

How Dried Shiitake Build Umami (Guanylate)

Umami Science The idea behind this dish

Ingredients to know

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
ingredient

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

Asian Supermarket Used in this recipe
Kombu (Dried Kelp)
ingredient

Kombu (Dried Kelp)

Asian Supermarket Used in this recipe
Chicken Thigh (Boneless, Skinless)
ingredient

Chicken Thigh (Boneless, Skinless)

Local Supermarket Used in this recipe
Burdock Root
ingredient

Burdock Root

Asian Supermarket Used in this recipe
Lotus Root (Renkon)
ingredient

Lotus Root (Renkon)

Asian Supermarket Used in this recipe
Konjac
ingredient

Konjac

Asian Supermarket Used in this recipe

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