Sometimes I cannot believe my life! I just got back from an annual board retreat with MycoMarin in Oregon. It was my first time foraging for mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest and can I just say: Mind...Blown!!! What a bounty of species, colors, habitat -- not to mention we were able to pick Chanterelles, Porcinis, and Matsutakes!!! Lots of firsts for me in terms of foraging and tasting the depth and range of flavors these mushrooms offer!
If you're interested in mushrooms (whether culinary or foraging), check out www.mycomarin.org -- I'm currently the President and we have wonderful and amazing people on our board, chair, and volunteer committees! Kevin Sadlier, Founder and current VP, has transformed how I look at mushrooms. When I joined 2 years ago, I simply wanted to learn how to grow mushrooms -- and boy, what a journey I have been on being part of this amazing organization! Foraging season is getting into full swing, so maybe I'll see you outside as we hunt for mushrooms in Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino!
This recipe is focused on the marvelous Matsutake -- it's perfume and umami is unmistakable and a delight on the palette! Matsutake means "pine mushroom" and is most commonly found in North America in California and the Pacific Northwest.
In Japanese,Gomoku Gohan means five items rice, or loosely translated Japanese Mixed Rice. ‘Go’ is five (number ‘5’) and ‘Gomoku’ is 5 items. So, it means 5 ingredients in this context. Without including the rice, topping and seasoning, that is. It is also called Takikomi Gohan,a generic name for rice cooked with vegetables and/or meat.
Gomoku Gohan is rice cooked in seasoned dashi stock. Usually the stock is made with 5 vegetables, for this recipe, I used strictly kombu and incorporated the other ingredients to comprise the 5 with other vegetables, Matsutake, and chicken. The rice is cooked in the seasoned dashi stock, so the cooked rice gets a umami foundation of flavor from the kombu and then the final umami component with the addition of Matsutake.
I get so excited when I can use pantry staples like bamboo shoots and foraged items like the Kombu from the Mendocino Coast that I handpicked and sun dried. Nothing is more gratifying than cooking and eating food that is locally foraged and grown. Kombu in everyday terms is more readily known as sea kelp – it’s a nutritious sea vegetable that is available in natural food stores and Asian markets if you are not able to forage in your area. Kombu is a versatile pantry ingredient that provides dishes with umami flavor, nutrients, and minerals. Dried kombu can be used to make broth, added to beans to make them more digestible, and eaten in salads!
Here’s what you will need:
2, 3-4” strips of dried Kombu
3 Tbl Sake
3 Tbl Soy Sauce
2 Tbl Sugar
½ cup Water
1 large single chicken breast, skinned, boned, and diced – you can also substitute chicken boneless chicken thighs
¼ cup sliced Onion, yellow or white
¼ lb Matsutake, thinly sliced (1/8-1/4”)
½ cup Bamboo Shoots, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
2 cups Rice, short-grain preferred
1 Tbl Black Sesame Seeds, lightly toasted
Let’s get cooking:
To make the dashi, place the dried Kombu into a bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water to hydrate. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Place the sake, soy sauce, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Add the chicken and simmer for 7-10 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Add the onion and bamboo shoots, and cook for a few more minutes. Gently steam the peas together for 3 minutes. Drain the liquid and set aside (you will use this to cook the rice).
To cook the rice, in a medium pot place the rice and rinse 3-4 three times or until the water runs clear (this is an important step to insure your rice does not come out sticky or mushy). * Measure the amount of liquid to add to the rice by placing the tip of your middle finger on the top of the rice and adding liquid to the first finger joint (the first joint line below the fingernail). Use the sake/soy sauce liquid and dashi stock (you can include the kombu for more depth of flavor) – if more liquid is needed to cover the rice to the right level, add water. Cover and bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Immediately after the rice is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and add the chicken, bamboo shoots, onions, and peas, mix rice and ingredients together. Cover the rice and continue to steam for about 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed into the rice. In the final 5-10 minutes, layer the Matsutake on top and finish steaming the rice for the final 5-10 minutes.
*To measure out the total water/liquid to rice ratio = short grain rice x 1.2 liquid. The above measurement using the tip of your finger is a family method that I grew up with and is widely used by many Asian countries!
Meanwhile, lightly toast the black sesame seeds in a small pan and set aside to be used to garnish.
Just before serving, you can mix the rice and ingredients with a wooden spoon – or serve with the layered Matsutake on top. Sprinkle with toasted black sesame seeds.
You can eat this rice dish by itself without any other dishes or have it accompany as a side dish! Serves 4-6 as a main dish or 8-10 as side dish.
Let me know what you think of the umami that the Kombu and Matsutake bring to this dish!