Beautifully silky, succulent and delicate, the maitake is the most delicious kind of mushroom I’ve ever tasted. To fuss too much with it, or pair it with another competing component would be a waste, so I’ve kept everything here as simple and mild as possible. Once the maitake emerges from the oven, roasted and slightly seared around the edges, it emits the most fragrant and buttery aroma I’ve ever inhaled, and the texture and taste is sublime. Serving it on top of this subtly salty and umami-laced broth creates a beautiful appetizer that would pair well with Easy Sesame-Glazed Tofu, Sesame-Ginger Soba Noodles, Sweet Potato and Lemongrass Gyoza, Lemongrass and Garlic-Stuffed Tofu or Carrot-Ginger Tofu.
ROASTED MAITAKE MUSHROOMS IN SESAME-MISO BROTH
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 16 oz maitake mushrooms
- 2 TB olive oil
for the broth
- 1 tsp Earth Balance
- 1 TB toasted sesame oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 stalk celery, minced
- 2 TB sherry
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tsp dark miso
to serve
- minced scallions
- black and white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425.
- To roast the maitake, place one tablespoon of the olive oil into a medium-sized cast iron pan, tilting it to cover the bottom. Place the maitake into the pan, taking care to kept them as intact as possible. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil evenly over the maitake and place into the oven to roast for about 25 minutes, turning over once through the roasting time.
- To make the broth, heat the vegan butter and toasted sesame oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add in the shallot and celery and stir to coat. Allow them to sweat for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally and lowering the heat if needed if any of the vegetables start to brown.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high. After 2 minutes, deglaze the saucepan with the sherry. Allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes more, then add in the vegetable broth. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, then remove from the heat. Remove a bit of the broth and add the miso to it. Stir until smooth, then add it back to the saucepan.
- By now, your maitake should be almost ready. It’s done when it smells buttery and is very slightly crisp around the edges. Divide the maitake into two bowls, spooning the desired amount of broth over the top. Garnish with minced scallions and sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
The Peace Patch says
zowie! I've never tried these glorious little shrooms but you have totally mesmerized me into a search for them…many thanks for teaching me about a yumful new food and for the recipe! 🙂
erinwyso says
Good luck in your search — they are worth it!
Kristina @ spabettie says
these look absolutely beautiful, and sound gloriously perfect.
erinwyso says
Thank you, Kristina!
Johanna says
Man, back in the day Trader Joe's carried Maitakes, but we stopped. This looks glorious, and I can't wait to make it. Right now I have chickpea and millet, yes millet, miso, which are both lighter misos. If you think a darker is still better, I'll just have to get a darker one. You must know about http://www.southrivermiso.com/, right? I practically drive by them every day on the way to work.
erinwyso says
Thanks Johanna! I think a non-dark miso would work just fine here! And I do buy only South River brand miso (I think thier brand is the best), but had no idea they were in Massachusetts — I may just have to take a field trip out there!
vegeTARAian says
Wow. This both looks and sounds amazing. I've never heard of these mushrooms but I'll now keep an eye out!
Michelle Thiele says
This looks so delicious, it would seriously be a "last meal" request for me. I love mushrooms so much! Morels are my favorite, but maitakes are a very close second.
erinwyso says
I've never tried a morel — now I'm curious!
Randi (laughfrodisiac) says
Maitakes are my favorite. They are the coolest looking food ever! This broth sounds wonderful.
Alison's Wonderland Recipes says
Oooo! These look delicious! I've never had this kind of mushroom before–I'll have to give them a try! 🙂
Cindy Rogers says
i just made this (minus the sherry and butter) and it was amazingly delicious thank you!
★★★★★
Debra Couch says
My husband loves maitake so he’ll go crazy over this. We don’t have sherry (we have an alcohol free home), is there anything that might substitute well? Or if I leave it out, will it still be a good dish?
Thanks for your site! I love it!
Debra
erinwyso says
Debra, I think if you leave that out, it will still be okay … hope you enjoy!
Mary Beth says
I bought and / or discovered maitake mushrooms at the yearly fall mushroom festival in Pennsylvania. Incredible find and I keep up the search after moving to Idaho. Thanks for the recipes!
Chris says
Fantastic! Has become a favorite in our house.
★★★★★