Garlic Miso Grilled Maitake with Yakiniku Style Citrus Scallion Sauce

Fall is here and that means maitake mushrooms are out in full force! I finally crossed it off the bucket list of mushrooms that I wanted to find and eat this week when I came across several clusters nestled at the base of an oak on our way to pick up some propane for a family dinner at my brother-in-law’s.

Even before finding one, I had been thinking up recipes for when I finally (hopefully) did since the mushroom hunting subreddit I’m a part of were full of them. This one was always at the top of the list.

The miso garlic marinade and the citrus scallion sauce were two flavors that I had desperately wanted to recreate from our honeymoon in Japan. A tiny yakiniku (Japanese barbecue) shop nestled in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo haunted my dreams for years, a flavor I couldn’t mimic due to having paid not enough attention to the ingredients, and all the attention to enjoying the flavor.

This marinade, if you’re doing it with meat, should be used with a well marbled, fatty piece of beef, but it’s also perfect for the fronds of the maitake mushroom.

Maitake, interestingly enough, seems to lack the strong mushroom flavor that its polypore cousins like chicken-of-the-woods does, it’s taste much more delicate to work with. My original idea of using it for pasta therefore will most likely be scrapped since I had expected a much deeper, earthier profile in line with portabello or boletes, but instead it’s closer to a young oyster or some nice chanterelles.

Garlic Miso Grilled Maitake

• 5-6 fronds of fresh Maitake, each about 3 fingerwidths
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon miso
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons sake
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• Sweet Potato or Corn starch, for dusting
• Cooking oil, for pan

Citrus Scallion Dressing

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• 3 springs scallion, sliced diagonally
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Salt, to taste

Garnishes

• Red or green shiso
• Thinly sliced red chili pepper
• Togarashi

1. Combine garlic, miso, soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, and sesame oil together and set to the side.
2. Dust fresh maitake fronds in sweet potato or corn starch. Drizzle and cover in marinade.
3. In a well oiled pan over medium high heat, grill maitake mushrooms until caramelized and slightly charred on the ends of the fronds. The corn starch will allow the edges to take on a crispy texture without being burned.
4. Top with citrus scallion dressing and garnish.