#Sauted Shitake Mushroom and Wasabi Salad
- 1 cup dried shitake mushrooms
- Splash of soy sauce
- Splash of red wine vinegar
- Splash of olive oil
- Wasabi-covered sesame seeds (available at the local Asian mart. If you can't find it, sub just a smidge of wasabi)
- Pinch of salt
Place shitakes in a bowl and cover with warm water. Soak for about 20 minutes or until shitakes are completely rehydrated. Remove mushrooms and squeeze excess water from them. They don't need to be completely dry, but shouldn't be sopping wet.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a small frying pan. Throw in soy sauce and red wine vinegar. How much depends on your taste. I would start with a tablespoon of each and adjust from there. I like the salad to be a bit more acidic so I tend to add a splash more of the red wine vinegar. Sauté mushrooms for a couple of minutes until they are heated through. Season to taste with salt. Adjust soy sauce and red wine vinegar as needed. Before serving, sprinkle a little bit of the wasabi-covered sesame seeds over the mushrooms to impart a little color, crunchiness, and heat. If you are unable to find wasabi-covered sesame seeds, a dab of wasabi and sprinkle of plain sesame seeds should do the trick.
Note: I keep dried shitakes as a staple in my pantry. I love the fact that the water left over after you rehydrate the mushrooms is called mushroom liquor. Mushroom liquor can be used as a substitute for broth or water in many recipes to impart an lovely mushroomy flavor.