Umami Overload

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I never thought I'd see th day when there was too much mushroom flavor. But I just ate a late lunch of enhanced mushroom soup. Here's what happened.
1/4 cup ware in a small saucepan
1 large pinch dried Chaterelle Mushrooms
1 large pinch dried porcine Mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped Portabella Mushrooms
12 oz can Cream of Mushroom soup

Heat water over medium heat to simmer. Add the dried mushrooms, cover, and cook over medium heat for ten minutes to re-hydrate. Add the chopped, fresh portabellas and cover. Cook another 10 minutes to cook hte fresh mushrooms. Add enough water to make 6 oz. in the pot. Add the condensed cream of mushroom soup. Cover and heat until hot. Stir to make creamy.

The first bite was sooooo good. There was all kinds of mushroom flavor. By the time I was done with my bowl full of soup, I needed a glass of apple juice to bring some normalcy to my mouth. Now if this soup had been combined with, say, a scotch broth, or a beef consume, it would have enhanced both flavors.

Before today, I didn't know you couod have too much mushroom flavor

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[dcSaute]

I keep (various types) dried mushrooms explicitly to make mushroom liquor for sauces, etc. boil them briefly, allow to soak until cool. squeeze out the mushrooms and discard, use the juice aka 'liquor'


it's hard to overdo with fresh mushrooms - but the dried pack a punch.

 

[pepperhead212]

I also use dried mushrooms - almost every soup or pasta dish I make with mushrooms, I'll add some, even if it's not in the recipe! I soak them, then massage the junk out of them, to get the grit out, then squeeze them dry, and rinse again, to see if any more grit comes out, and when clean, I mince them up, and use that in the recipe, along with the strained soaking liquid. Can't waste any of it!

 

[dragnlaw]

I've just recently started to use more and more dried mushrooms. Picked up two packages in the Asian market a while ago, ahem, quite a while ago. Finally decided it was time to start using them.

Have almost finished the Shiitake ones but the Black Fungus expand sooo much it will probably take a while to use such a tiny bit at a time.

They go in my soups, eggs, rice and mostly including the strained soaking liquid. I've been surprised at how little dirt there is.

A package of dried mushrooms here in the large grocers runs anywhere from $4.00 to $7.00. That's 0.5 oz or 14 g. the asian package of 85 g or 150 g is, if I remember correctly, about $3.00. BIG difference, better flavour, better shelf life.

Shelf life is a big factor for me. I might not want a whole package of mushrooms for a specific recipe and being able to take just one or two when needed makes me feel like a happy chef.

 

[CWS4322]

I've just recently started to use more and more dried mushrooms. Picked up two packages in the Asian market a while ago, ahem, quite a while ago. Finally decided it was time to start using them.

Have almost finished the Shiitake ones but the Black Fungus expand sooo much it will probably take a while to use such a tiny bit at a time.

They go in my soups, eggs, rice and mostly including the strained soaking liquid. I've been surprised at how little dirt there is.

A package of dried mushrooms here in the large grocers runs anywhere from $4.00 to $7.00. That's 0.5 oz or 14 g. the asian package of 85 g or 150 g is, if I remember correctly, about $3.00. BIG difference, better flavour, better shelf life.

Shelf life is a big factor for me. I might not want a whole package of mushrooms for a specific recipe and being able to take just one or two when needed makes me feel like a happy chef.

I have dried mushrooms, mushroom powder, and mushroom salt. I do the powder and salt in the spice grinder. I often buy "marked down" mushrooms to dehydrate and will use those to make the powder and salt. I always soak the dried ones so I can use the liquor in stock, sauces, soups, to cook rice, pasta, etc. It freezes well, too.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I buy the markdown mushrooms and just put them in the freezer as is. Thaw and chop for soups. They are ugly, but taste so good!