Matsutake Dobin Mushi

Fall undoubtedly is my favorite time of the year. The weather is perfect, the trees are gorgeous and the dishes common to this season are the ones I enjoy the most.

Last year around this time I had matsutake (pine) mushrooms for the first time ever at one of my favorite sushi restaurants in town. One evening after work I popped in and my waitress suggested I try their matsutake dobin mushi as these mushrooms were in season.

Matsutake mushrooms are revered in Japan and Korea, and are held in just as high esteem as truffles are in European based cuisine. According to the wiki entry on these mushrooms, the highest grade can fetch up to $2,000 per kilogram where the average grade are valued around $90 per kilogram.

They grow on the roots of different varieties of pine trees and are commonly found in Japan, Korea, Sweden and the Pacific-Northwest.

The dobin mushi I had last year at Sushi Huku haunted me. The presentation of the specialized teapot and simple, elegant flavor of the dobin mushi dish were enchanting. And the aroma of pine and wondrous taste of earth from the matsutakes were memorably enticing.

To enjoy this tea/soup, you start out by pouring the hot salted broth of dashi in the provided cup and sprinkle with citrus. Then eventually you open the lid and pick out the bits of fish, ginkgo nuts, and matsutake slices with chopsticks. Don't let the matsutakes steep for too long, the redolent pine flavor will eventually lose its luster.

I wanted needed my very own matsutakes. But I missed my chance during the short season last year so I purchased a dobin mushi teapot and made a mental reminder to acquire some matsutakes this season.

Last weekend I was at the Super H Mart in Duluth (Pleasant Hill Rd location) and saw a trove of fresh "pine mushrooms" in the produce section for $25 a pound. Cha ching. I bought a half pound and went home and dove in.

The recipe took some tweaking. I did google searches and perused my Japanese cookbooks but after initial attempts that didn't quite do it for me, I realized that I just needed to simplify what I was trying to do. That is the essence of this dish that I enjoy—simplicity.

Recipe (Serves 1):

1 medium size matsutake mushroom, gently cleaned with a soft damp cloth ( you do not want to rub the skin off the mushroom)
2 ginkgo nuts shelled and blanched in dashi for 3 minutes
3-4 small thin slices of snapper or sea bream
2-3 thin slices of carrot
1 cup of hot primary (ichiban) dashi
1 slice/wedge of lime
1 tbsp Sake
Salt to taste

1) Soak raw snapper or sea bream in sake for 10 minutes and sprinkle with salt
2) Slice the matsutake mushroom in 1/4 inch slices
3) With chopsticks, gently lay the mushrooms, blanched ginkgo nuts, fish and carrots in the dobin mushi teapot
4) Create a rack in a wok with 1-1/2 inches of water and place on medium-high heat. See this post for assistance on steaming.
5) When the water begins to steam, pour the dashi fully into the teapot and place it on the rack and cover the wok
6) Steam the dobin mushi for 7 minutes
7) Add salt to the dobin mushi (I like about 1/4 tsp) and serve with lime or a lemon wedge for sprinkling

* I realize it may be difficult to obtain these ingredients and/or teapot so check out local restaurants in the Atlanta metro area below where I have seen this being offered on the menu. Hurry before the season is over!

Shoya Izakaya
Bishoku
Sushi Huku
Nakato