Mushroom Stock Ideas Wanted

[Shel_B]

Tomorrow I'm making a large batch of vegetable stew or soup, and I want to use some mushroom stock to add a richer flavor. Of the numerous recipes I've seen, they all call for the addition of herbs, onion, garlic, and other vegetables, like carrot and celery. That's fine, but since the stock will be used for a simmered vegetable dish, is the addition of all these vegetables and herbs really necessary?

This evening I made a quickish stock using three or four types of 'shrooms, half a leftover onion, a couple of garlic cloves, and a bay leaf, sautéed in a scosh of olive oil. It smells great, and the color is dark. After straining, I'm thinking this will be just fine for tomorrow's stew/ or soup. Any thoughts on this? Thanks!

[Paul Bacino]

In Gramercy Tavern-- his Mushroom Broth is just a pound of white buttons..s and p----- simmer one hr and strained

[jgm]

I think just plain mushrooms is what you want, but no harm in adding other flavors, as long as they're compatible with what you want to use it for.

FYI I've also heard of pulverizing dried mushrooms, and using them as a flavoring ingredient. Might be another avenue to try sometime.

[Shel_B]

In Gramercy Tavern-- his Mushroom Broth is just a pound of white buttons..s and p----- simmer one hr and strained

Thanks, I needed that kick in the butt. Sometimes less is more ...

[Shel_B]

I think just plain mushrooms is what you want, but no harm in adding other flavors, as long as they're compatible with what you want to use it for.

FYI I've also heard of pulverizing dried mushrooms, and using them as a flavoring ingredient. Might be another avenue to try sometime.

Pulverizing dried mushrooms = good idea! Thanks. Will try that in my next veggie soup or stew.

[gfweb]

Using the water that you use to rehydrate shiitakis is a useful old trick.

[judiu]

But run it thru a coffee filter before you use it, to get out residual grit and sand, please. Crunchy soup? Nah!

[Shel_B]

But run it thru a coffee filter before you use it, to get out residual grit and sand, please. Crunchy soup? Nah!

I'm aware of that technique, but I have no coffee filters here, so, an alternative is to let the stock sit a while and just skim or pour from the top, making sure no dirt or grit thanks dropped to the bottom gets poured out of the vessel.

[Shel_B]

Using the water that you use to rehydrate shiitakis is a useful old trick.

I've never been able to get the intense mushroom flavor I was looking for from Shiitakis. Maybe I didn't use enough <shrug>

[Jaymes]

But run it thru a coffee filter before you use it, to get out residual grit and sand, please. Crunchy soup? Nah!

I'm aware of that technique, but I have no coffee filters here, so, an alternative is to let the stock sit a while and just skim or pour from the top, making sure no dirt or grit thanks dropped to the bottom gets poured out of the vessel.

Dishtowels?

[Shel_B]

But run it thru a coffee filter before you use it, to get out residual grit and sand, please. Crunchy soup? Nah!

I'm aware of that technique, but I have no coffee filters here, so, an alternative is to let the stock sit a while and just skim or pour from the top, making sure no dirt or grit thanks dropped to the bottom gets poured out of the vessel.

Dishtowels?

I don't have any appropriate dish towels, but what I have used in the past for some filtering jobs, with good results, is old T-shirts.

[liuzhou]

I don't have any appropriate dish towels, but what I have used in the past for some filtering jobs, with good results, is old T-shirts.

I've used women's fine denier stockings (but I'm not telling you what for!)

I always run the dried mushrooms under the cold tap before soaking them. Much, but not all, of any foreign material is on the surface. But I still strain before using them. I usually coffee filters, but have seriously used stockings on occasion

I think the trick to that deep flavour is to use a lot more mushrooms than you think you are likely to need. I tend to chop them very finely and always add some rehydrated porcini or shiitake or whatever along with their strained soaking water

Edited November 15, 2013 by liuzhou (log)

[Jaymes]

Shel - why don't you just buy some cheesecloth? It's cheap enough. And handy. And washes easily. And it's there when you need it - no grubbing around for women's panty hose or old t-shirts.

Hell, maybe I'll just buy you some.

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-367-Natural-Cheese-Cloth/dp/B0000VLVBQ

[Shel_B]

I don't have any appropriate dish towels, but what I have used in the past for some filtering jobs, with good results, is old T-shirts.

I've used women's fine denier stockings (but I'm not telling you what for!)

I always run the dried mushrooms under the cold tap before soaking them. Much, but not all, of any foreign material is on the surface. But I still strain before using them. I usually coffee filters, but have seriously used stockings on occasion

I think the trick to that deep flavour is to use a lot more mushrooms than you think you are likely to need. I tend to chop them very finely and always add some rehydrated porcini or shiitake or whatever along with their strained soaking water

You're right about using more mushrooms - I used a bunch more than I thought would be needed, and while the result was good, next time I'll probably double the amount. I thought about adding some dried shiitake, but decided against it as I had other plans for those that were in the cupboard. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Shel_B]

Shel - why don't you just buy some cheesecloth? It's cheap enough. And handy. And washes easily. And it's there when you need it - no grubbing around for women's panty hose or old t-shirts.

Hell, maybe I'll just buy you some.

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-367-Natural-Cheese-Cloth/dp/B0000VLVBQ

Why buy cheesecloth? I already have a dozen or so old T-shirts that I can use, they're washable and will last a long time. The T-shirts are handy, folded neatly in a drawer and nicely stashed inside a plastic bag - they are there when I need 'em. I like the T-shirts because they're much less messy to deal with because they're thicker and not so flippy floppy all over the place, easier for me to spread out or fold over. What will cheesecloth do better than the T-shirts? Thanks for the offer, but I need some socks more than I need cheesecloth <LOL>

Edited November 15, 2013 by Shel_B (log)

[ojisan]

I use dried shitake quite a bit, and save out the stems for stock.

[MikeHartnett]

I vote mushroom dashi. And have you used dried shiitakes? Way different results than fresh.

[catdaddy]

I often add a bit of burned-off brandy to mushroom stock. It seems to intensify the mushroom flavor.

[Shel_B]

I vote mushroom dashi. And have you used dried shiitakes? Way different results than fresh.

Mushroom dashi seemed inappropriate for the stew or soup I was making.. Yes, I've used dried shiitake mushrooms. As noted above, "I thought about adding some dried shiitake, but decided against it as I had other plans for those that were in the cupboard."

[Shel_B]

I often add a bit of burned-off brandy to mushroom stock. It seems to intensify the mushroom flavor.

Interesting idea ... might be worth a try when I make my next batch ... if I have some brandy around. Thanks!

[KennethT]

I once took a cooking class with David Bouley who makes a very dense mushroom stock as a base for many preparations. Take a ton of white button mushrooms, medium chop, and just cover with water. Simmer for about 8 hours until the volume has reduced by about half then strain. I've done it before - it comes out very good - almost truffely...

[gfweb]

ever try pressure cooking it?

[KennethT]

I have - it works ok - but one aspect of the Bouley method is the evaporation, hence concentration. Doing it in the pressure cooker gets you part of the way there faster - but you'd still have to reduce it down

[judiu]

Shel_b, coffee filters are cheap as old chips and are multitaskers. Viva paper towels are great for filters, washable ( or at least rinse-out able ) but not as cheap per each. Coffee filters degrease liquids, keep small things from falling thru the colander when rinsing or draining (consider pastina...), drain berries etc. Viva paper towels have gone thru the wash in pockets NUMEROUS times and survived happily! I rest my case...

[MikeHartnett]

I vote mushroom dashi. And have you used dried shiitakes? Way different results than fresh.

Mushroom dashi seemed inappropriate for the stew or soup I was making.. Yes, I've used dried shiitake mushrooms. As noted above, "I thought about adding some dried shiitake, but decided against it as I had other plans for those that were in the cupboard."

Sorry - I was unaware that possessing dried shiitakes indicated that one had previously used them.