The Mushroom Masters Lunch Row with La Fuji Mama

The Mushroom Masters continue this week with our next Team USA contender, the lovely and talented Rachael from La Fuji Mama. A little bit about Rachael:

Rachael is a freelance food writer and author of the blog La Fuji Mama, which focuses on bringing world flavors to the family dinner table. Rachael has eaten her way around the world, having lived in a variety of locations, including Paris, Tokyo, Memphis, and Los Angeles. She is a self-proclaimed Japanese cuisine advocate who loves introducing people to such things as the wonders of homemade tofu, the importance of sustainable seafood, and the secrets behind making professional-looking gyoza.

Now just because Rachael’s one of the nicest people we know doesn’t mean she isn’t prepared to serve a warm, comforting bowl of second and third place to the competition with her Mushroom Miso Ramen. Please take a moment to exercise your click click of support for Team USA and Rachael by heading over to Tastespotting to vote!

Spicy Mushroom Miso Ramen

Makes 3 to 4 servings

Recipe Notes: This recipe uses a vegetarian mushroom stock made from dried shiitake mushrooms and kombu, a thick kelp used extensively in Japanese cooking for adding extra flavor to dishes. Paired with the dried shiitake mushrooms, it adds a bit of extra oomph to the stock. If you don’t have any kombu, don’t worry, the stock is still delicious when made with just the dried shiitake mushrooms! The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of crushed red chili flakes. This is so that you can adjust the recipe to suit your tastes. If you don’t like a lot of heat, only use 1 teaspoon. If you like things nice and spicy like me, add the full tablespoon!

8 small dried shiitake mushrooms
8 square inches dried kombu (optional)
4 ½ cups water
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
6 – 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon crushed red chili flakes (to suit your tastes)
1 ½ tablespoons shiro miso (white miso paste)
1 ½ tablespoons aka miso (red miso paste)
10 ounces dried ramen noodles (aka, chukka soba), freshly cooked
Fresh cilantro leaves, to garnish

1. Make the mushroom stock: Place the dried shiitake mushrooms and kombu a pot with the water. Bring the water almost to a boil and then turn down the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
2. Remove the pot from the heat and let the stock stand for 3 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer and set the stock aside.
3. Make the soup: Heat 3 teaspoons of the toasted sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the sliced cremini mushrooms and cook for about 20 seconds. Drizzle in the remaining 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, then add the finely chopped garlic and crushed red chili flakes, and stir-fry for another 20 seconds.
4. Pour the mushroom stock through a fine-mesh strainer held directly over the pan. (Discard the solids left in the strainer.) Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and separate the cooked noodles into 3 or 4 bowls.
5. Place the shiro miso and aka miso in a small bowl and ladle some of the hot stock from the pan into the bowl. Whisk the miso pastes and broth together until smooth, then add to the simmering stock in the pan.
6. Turn off the heat, then ladle the broth over the noodles in each bowl. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve immediately.