Mushrooms

Shitake mushroom with onion and tarragon

This is loosely based on Gordon Ramsay's tutorial for marinated button mushrooms.  However i think mine is closer to a stir fry instead.  What i like about Gordon Ramsey's videos, taken from his Ultimate Cookery Course TV series, is that his explanations are clear and straightforward, and his enthusiasm is pretty infectious - makes you want to try out the dish yourself.  i attempted this last week for supper, since my dinner had not been very fulfilling.  This is a simple dish and the cutting/frying can be done in under 10 minutes if you are quick.

What you need
Shitake Mushrooms (i used dried ones)
Cooking Oil
Salt & Pepper
Onions/shallots
Wine Vinegar
Tarragon



Getting Ready!

• Soak the dried mushrooms in water for about 10-15 minutes to "re-animate them".  If you have time to check in on the mushrooms, drain and change the water so that the mushrooms will not have a strong herbal/preservative taste
• Slice mushrooms into uniform pieces - the more uniform they are, the more evenly they will cook
• Slice onions (according to GR, onions are harsher than shallots but i thought the end product still tasted pretty decent)

Time to Cook!

• Heat up oil in the wok.  When the oil is starting to smoke, add in the mushrooms.  They will sizzle as the water from the mushrooms exit and come into contact with the oil
• Add salt and pepper.  These help to season the mushrooms and also help remove the water
• When mushrooms start to brown, add in onions/shallots
• Pour in wine vinegar around the edges.  I used rice wine vinegar, but GR used white wine vinegar, which is stronger.  The heat will evaporate the wine, and the residue adds a sweet and sour flavour to the mushroom
• Plate with tarragon on top.  The heat will cook the herb and adds a nice dimension for both flavour and colour.  

As i was hungry, i also cooked some Mamee instant noodles, which had a surprisingly bouncy texture and tasted pretty good!

The Verdict

The mushrooms were nicely browned and had a nice texture on the outside.  The inside was tender and juicy but as my slices had not been uniform enough, some of the mushrooms were overcooked and hence became dry.  Nonetheless, it is a simple dish which is quick to prepare, and should be relatively easy to master. i will definitely be trying this again soon :)