Dried Porcini mushrooms are a great alternative if fresh Porcini are out of season or if you want to strengthen the flavor of your mushroom recipes. When dried, the Porcini mushrooms become a concentration of umami flavor and can be stored safely for months
Soak the mushrooms in very hot water until the water cools down to room temperature
1 package dried porcini, 1 cup boiling water
Drain the mushrooms
Collect the water into a bowl as it is a concentration of Porcini aroma
Place the mushrooms over a cutting board
Cut them into fine pieces, as their texture tends to be meaty and chewy. If you prefer, you can also use a blender.
Stir fry
Stir fry some garlic cloves with butter
2 cloves peeled garlic cloves, ¼ cup butter
Add the rehydrated porcini mushrooms and let them soften
Add some of the soaking water to give more flavor. Let the water simmer to reduce for a few minutes. The amount of water you add depends on how juicy your mushrooms need to be.
Add the regular mushrooms and season with salt
10 oz fresh mushrooms
Once the mushrooms are done, garnish with parsley and serve as a side dish or add them to your recipes
If you see holes in the porcini, they were made by worms. When the Porcini have dried, the worms leave and die. These worms are harmless and can be eaten if you are brave enough. You will not even notice them as they are extremely small and flavorless.
Cut the rehydrated Porcini mushrooms into small sizes as they can be chewy
The drained water is the most important ingredient, containing an intense umami flavor.
The amount of water you add back to the mushrooms depends on how juicy your mushrooms need to be.