Master Mushroom Vegetable Stock

Nik Sharma

Makes

3½ to 4 cups [830ml to 945ml]

Ingredients

85g dried shiitake mushrooms
1 large onion or 4 shallots (about 300g)
1 large leek, white part only (about 275g)
455g carrots
2 large celery stalks (about 170 g)
1 tbsp white or yellow miso paste

THE COOK’S NOTES

The temperature is listed in the instructions here because at 158°F [70°C], the enzymes responsible for glutamate production in dried shiitake work most efficiently.
I don’t add salt to the stock until I use it.
Avoid adding dried onion skins, as they’ll make the stock taste bitter because they contain concentrated amounts of quercetin, a bitter-tasting polyphenol.

This recipe is adapted from The Flavor Equation cookbook and is an essential one to file away. I use it often to make soups, flavour rice for pulaos and even steep vegetables. You can also drink a bowl on its own.

View the recipe collection here

Instructions

1.Crush and place 85g dried shiitake mushrooms and 6 cups [1.4L] water at 70°C (see The Cook’s Notes) in a large heatproof mixing bowl or measuring cup and let sit for 30 minutes.
2.Squeeze the mushrooms to release as much liquid as possible and discard the mushrooms. This is the mushroom 'tea'.
3.Heat a large Dutch oven, stockpot, or large, deep saucepan over medium heat.
4.Do not add water or oil; we’re going to use the liquid from the vegetables to braise and brown them.
5.Add to the pot 1 large onion or 4 shallots (about 300g), thinly sliced, and 1 large leek, white part only (about 275g), thinly sliced. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until the vegetables turn light brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
6.Add 455g carrots, diced and 2 large celery stalks (about 170 g), thinly sliced.
7.Cover and cook dry, stirring often and lowering the heat as necessary to avoid scorching, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 30 to 45 minutes.
8.If the onions start to burn, add 1 to 2 tbsp water. Stir in the mushroom tea, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any sticking vegetables.
9.Add 1 tbsp white or yellow miso paste. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let sit for 30 minutes.
10.Line a fine mesh sieve with a layer of cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl.
11.Strain the liquid through the cheesecloth and gently squeeze the solids in the cloth to extract as much liquid as possible.
12.Use the stock as needed or divide and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

This is an edited extract from Veg-Table: Recipes, Techniques + Plant Science for Big Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals by Nik Sharma.
© 2023. (Chronicle Books, RRP 79.99, distributed by bookreps.co.nz).
Photographs by Nik Sharma.

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