mystery shopper
Enoki Mushrooms Golden needle, snow puff, enokitake, velvet stem – pretty big names for a tiny little mushroom.
story and recipe by Shannon Weber Photography by jennifer silverberg
and make their homes on the stumps of persimmon and mulberry trees.
What Is It?
What Do I Do With It?
Enoki mushrooms, as they are most commonly known in the United States, are the tiny, spaghetti-stemmed mushrooms found in many Asian soups and salads and native to Japan. Their beauty takes work: The kind we’re most familiar with are cultivated in pitch-black, carbon dioxide-heavy environments to achieve their unique shape and intense whiteness. Wild varieties blend in more with their fungi relatives, with thicker stems and a peachy-brown color,
Although they look rare and precious, enokis are easy to find and can be thrown into all sorts of things. Use the delicate, slightly fruity enoki in soups, salads and stir-frys. Roasting one of these slender creatures brings out an unexpected meatiness; use them atop burgers, sandwiches or add them to egg dishes. Enokis, like all mushrooms, shrink dramatically when cooked – which you’ll witness in the following recipe – so plan accordingly.
Shannon Weber is the creator, author and photographer behind the award-winning blog aperiodictableblog.com, and her work has appeared on websites such as Bon Appétit, Serious Eats and America’s Test Kitchen. She is a self-taught baker and cook who believes the words “I can’t” should never apply to food preparation and that curiosity can lead to wonderful things, in both the kitchen and in life.
Ginger-Soy Marinated Tofu and Bok Choy with Enoki Mushroom Straws Serves | 4 | Marinated Tofu
½ cup light soy sauce 1⁄3 cup rice wine vinegar juice of 3 limes 2 Tbsp brown sugar 2 Tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp garlic-chile sauce 1 block extra-firm tofu, drained, excess liquid pressed out Mushroom Straws
2 2 1
Tbsp plus 3 tsp vegetable oil, divided 7-oz packages enoki mushrooms, cleaned, thick bottom stems removed tsp sesame oil
Bok Choy
2 lbs baby bok choy (about 16), trimmed, leaves separated 2 Tbsp vegetable oil ½ cup ginger-soy marinade, divided kosher salt, to taste cooked brown rice (to serve)
| Preparation - Marinated Tofu | In a medium bowl, whisk together first 7 ingredients. Slice prepared tofu into ¼-inch-thick rectangles and lay in a single layer in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Pour marinade over top, turn each piece over to coat and cover tightly. Refrigerate 4 to 8 hours.
| Preparation – Mushroom Straws | Heat oven to 325°F and brush a lipped sheet pan with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Separate mushrooms into individual pieces. Toss with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and sesame oil, and spread out on pan in a single layer. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway through and every 10 minutes thereafter, until mushrooms are a deep golden brown, dried and crispy. Remove and let cool. Increase heat to 450°F. Line 2 lipped sheet pans with foil and brush with remaining vegetable oil. Lay marinated tofu slices evenly on 1 sheet pan; brush tops with marinade, reserving remaining marinade, and bake, 15 minutes. Remove, flip tofu over, marinate and bake 10 minutes.
| Preparation – Bok Choy | Toss bok choy in oil, lay on second prepared sheet pan and pour reserved marinade on top. Bake 7 to 8 minutes. Remove bok choy and tofu. Season with salt.
| To Serve | Divide rice evenly onto four plates. Top with bok choy, tofu, marinade and enoki mushroom straws. Serve.