Shiitake's are in! Recipe below!

Slow Grown Shiitakes

Shiitake are notoriously slow-growing mushrooms, and colonising a substrate can take up to 16 weeks under suitable conditions. Compared with faster-growing species, shiitake take their time, steadily working their way through the substrate before they’re ready to move on to the next stage. Patience is definitely part of the process when growing these slow but rewarding mushrooms!

We have a couple of boxes picked fresh today but they won't be around for long! I've included a recipe below which is my favourite way to cook shiitake!

Deeply savoury, meaty and packed with umami, our Shiitake are a little flavour bomb disguised as a mushroom. Grown in small batches at The Undercliff Shroomery on the Isle of Wight, they develop firm, meaty caps and rich, earthy flavour. Their texture holds up beautifully when cooked, making them brilliant for everything from stir-fries and ramen to risottos, pasta and anything that needs a serious hit of savoury goodness. Give them a hot pan with a little oil or butter and let them brown properly. Add garlic, soy sauce or your favourite herbs and prepare for the kitchen to smell suspiciously like you've got your life together. Add them to your ramen! They also stew particularly well.

Remember to remove any woody stem before cooking, then slice or cook whole.

Shiitake Mushroom Stew

A rich, hearty stew with plenty of savoury umami from the shiitake mushrooms.

• 200 g fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• ½ large onion, diced

• 1 carrot, sliced

• 1 celery stick, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp plain flour

• 375 ml vegetable stock

• 75 ml red wine

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• ½ tbsp soy sauce

• ½ tsp dried thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• 200 g tinned chopped tomatoes

• 150 g potatoes, cut into chunks

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Small handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan or casserole dish. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8 - 10 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and shiitakes and cook for 5 - 7 minutes, until softened and nicely browned.

3. Stir in the flour and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.

4. Gradually add the red wine, stirring well, then simmer for 2 - 3 minutes.

5. Add the stock, tomatoes, soy sauce, thyme, bay leaf and potatoes. Season with pepper and a little salt.

6. Cover and simmer gently for 35 - 45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the stew has thickened.

7. Remove the bay leaf, adjust the seasoning and finish with fresh parsley. 

Tip: For an especially deep, meaty flavour, brown the shiitakes well before adding the liquid. Serve with crusty bread, mashed potato, or simply on its own.

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The Undercliff Shroomery, Ventnor

Fresh gourmet mushrooms grown with absolutely no nasties