A guide to dried mushrooms

While fungi foraging is a popular autumnal activity, many of the special varieties of mushrooms are commercially unavailable in Australia. Fortunately, producers the world over have perfected the art of drying mushrooms, allowing us to enjoy each type and their unique characteristics all year-round. At The Essential Ingredient, we're proud to offer a diverse range of dried mushrooms that elevate dishes with their rich flavours, unique textures, and aromatic complexities

With flavour bombs like the savoury shiitake and meaty porcini, the highly prized fragrant morel and the rich and nutty chanterelle, our dried mushrooms are luxurious and convenient and can be used in a myriad of ways. They will work their magic in sauces, stews, rich ragouts and nourishing broths, and even in salads and stir fries. And don't waste the clear bronze soaking liquor left from rehydrating dried mushrooms! It can be used for a bright, rich, satisfying soup or used as a stock for braises and risotto. Just make sure to strain through a fine sieve or cheese cloth first, as dried mushrooms can hold sand and grit in their gills and folds.

Chanterelles
Hailing from France but also found in Italy, Poland, and Germany, chanterelles are prized for their toasted, spicy, nutty flavour with a subtle hint of apricot. They have a toasted, spicy, nutty flavour with a hint of apricot. They go well with beef, offal, duck and can also be used in soups sauces and casseroles. Soak for 1 hour before using. Even with extended cooking, they maintain a delightful chewiness that adds character to any recipe.

Make a chanterelle and Gruyere cheese omelette with rehydrated chanterelles browned in butter, garlic and thyme.

Morels
Regarded as the most prized among mushrooms, morels have a stunning appearance and a rich, smoky flavour that pairs perfectly with chicken, fish, or pasta. Even through the drying process, their intensity and unique character remain intact, ready to elevate any savoury dish.

A simple salad of morels, peas, pea shoots, mint and goat cheese seasoned and dressed simply with lemon and olive oil is sensational.

Shiitake
Distinctive in aroma with a meaty flavour that sets it apart from European varieties, shiitake bring bold dimension to soups, braises and of course rich and spicy Asian inspired dishes. Their robust character adds depth to every bite, making them a favourite in a variety of cuisines.

They can be used whole, like in this recipe for chawanmushi or sliced like in these pearl meatballs. Try using them in a hawker style braised pork dish with star anise and soy or this quick ramen with chashu and jammy eggs.

Porcini
Closely related to the French cepes, Italian porcini mushrooms are renowned for their intense, meaty aroma and rich earthy flavour and are widely used across Europe. Soak for 30 minutes before use. These mushrooms are brilliant in pasta and rice dishes like our perfect mushroom risotto, an umami-rich mac and cheese, or this hearty ragu: Tocco alla Genovese.

You can also use powdered porcini as a secret ingredient in braises, soups and sauces to boost the savoury flavour and add instant depth, or mix with butter and serve with your favourite steak! We've used it in this moreish and comforting chicken and mushroom freekeh crumble. 

Bolet Jaunes
A member of the cepes family, bolet jaunes is a French variety that is excellent for enriching stocks, sauces, and enhancing the flavour of cultivated varieties. Soak for 20 minutes before use.

When cooked these mushrooms are quite soft and are delicious in a rich and creamy mushroom soup. Drizzle with truffle oil and top with crunchy garlic croutons.

Garniture Forestiere
This dried forest mushroom blend is a mix of shiitake, oyster, black fungus and porcini mushrooms, perfect wherever complexity and depth of flavour is required - like in these hearty chicken & mushroom pies.

For a wonderful wild mushroom bruschetta, gently fry rehydrated garniture forestiere mushrooms in a pan with butter, garlic and thyme, season and spoon onto toasted, garlic-rubbed, oil-soaked sourdough and top with savings of parmigiano reggiano or serve the mushroom mix with fresh pappardelle for a perfect plate of pasta.

Trompette des Maure
With a horn-like shape, these deep black woodland mushrooms are also known as black chanterelle, horn of plenty and the sinister trompette de la mort. They are richly flavoured with a hint of nuttiness.

For an intense earthy sauce perfect for steak, panfry soaked trompettes with garlic and rosemary, add lashings of cream and pepper and salt to taste. 

Our collection of dried mushrooms is available in-store and online for delivery to anywhere in Australia.