Amazing Miso Mushrooms

 

Mushrooms and white or red miso paste are a marvellous combination bringing stacks of umami flavours to this dish to tantalise our palate. There are many varieties of mushrooms available these days, and I have used the standard white cap variety for this recipe.  I also used white miso paste. More about that later.

Miso paste is a very popular ingredient in Japanese cuisine, and combined with mushrooms it brings the fifth flavour of umami to this dish. It's not sweet, sour, salty or bitter, it's umami, "meaning the Essence of deliciousness" in Japanese. You are so right! Umami is a result of the naturally occurring amino acid glutamate and is present in many other fermented foods as well. I used white miso paste for this recipe, because that's what I had on hand, but for more tang for your buck the red is the best. 

Thanks to the New Vintage Kitchen, I based my recipe on hers. It intrigued me as soon as I saw it.

So why use Miso?

Miso intrigues me, and to be honest I am still learning how to use it for maximum flavour and health benefits. It's a real little flavour bomb and can pack quite the punch if you want it to. It is now thought that miso originated as a fermented food in ancient China, and was adopted later and further developed in Japan. There's so much to read up on about this. 

It is made primarily from fermented soybean combined with salt and koji ( a type of fungus cultivated on rice and other grains). However, it can be a lot more complex than that. This mixture can then be aged for months or even years. My research tells me that the red miso is made with a higher proportion of soybeans and is fermented for a longer time, which gives it a stronger and saltier flavour. 

.Mr. HRK really enjoyed the flavours in this dish, but he has a sweeter taste profile than I do. I think I would have preferred the stronger flavours of red miso. I'll be using red miso next time I make this dish, 'cause I love cooking with mushrooms and miso.

When I use white miso again, I will adjust some of the flavours slightly to balance out the sweetness. However as an alternative, you can also try Awase Miso, which is a blend of white and red miso. I admit I haven't actually found it yet, but I'm sure I will. Apparently the flavour profile here is somewhere in the middle between slightly salty and tangy with subtle hints of sweetness.

I also love that because miso is a cultured food, it supports our gut health, which instantly gives it a big tick in my book.

• Let's cook:

Ingredients:

450 g. (1 lb.) mixed mushrooms

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

115 g. (4 oz.) leeks, sliced, 1 large or 2 small approx.

4 cloves of garlic, minced (optional)

Pinch of dried thyme, or the leaves from a couple of fresh sprigs 

75 g. spinach, or other greens like silverbeet, beetroot greens, chiffonade

1 tbsp. miso, white, red or yellow (I had white so I used that)

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 tsp. maple syrup

1/4 cup minced parsley

1 tbsp. pumpkin seeds or nuts for garnish (optional)

Method:

Prepare mushrooms. Scrub them if necessary if dirty and dry, or just give them a wipe. Cut them into bite sized pieces. You can set them aside, or store covered in the frig.

Slice the leeks. Select a large frypan like a Scanpan, heat it on a medium heat, and add the olive oil and leeks. Cook these for a few minutes until softened, then add the thyme and garlic if using.

When these become nicely fragrant, add the mushrooms and just cook until tender.

Now add the finely cut greens, mix all the elements together, add some finely ground pepper (no salt yet), and continue to cook until the greens soften. This will take hardly anytime at all. 

Remove your pan from the heat.

With a small whisk in a small bowl, mix together the miso, vinegar, and maple syrup. Add to the pan along with the minced parsley, mix it all well. Test the mixture for salt, add if necessary, and plate up your delicious meal.

Sprinkle with the nuts or seeds if appropriate.

Delicious heathy and tasty dinner is served on Meat Free Monday

Recipe tips:

• I just used white cap mushrooms for this recipe which worked well. Fancy mushrooms add to the overall cost, so I would save them for when you are trying to impress or for dining out at a restaurant.
• This dish would also make a fabulous side for most meals, except those already containing mushrooms
• If you can't tolerate garlic, don't add it. It doesn't need it.
• I only had 80 g of leeks, (1 remaining leek growing in the garden)  so I topped it up with eschallots from the garden. I think finely chopped red onion would work well too. People on Fodmaps may have a problem with eating leeks and garlic.
• Other options for this dish to really take it to the miso party could include sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichokes, goats cheese or feta cheese. I loved using fresh spinach in this dish, the original recipe used chard which we can't find here often.
• I used white wine vinegar, but up the anti and use Prosecco, Cider or Champagne vinegars.

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with miso. that is what is so much fun about blogging, sharing foodie experiences.

Warm wishes,

Pauline