Binchotan-Grilled Shiitake with Umami Kosher Dust

Introduction

Welcome to my kitchen. Today, we listen to the forest. As the mountain air warms, the shiitake mushrooms reach their peak of meatiness. I have prepared a dish that honors the shun of these fungi, lightly kissed by the white heat of binchotan charcoal and finished with a delicate dusting of house-cured umami salt. It is a quiet meditation on earth and fire, a shojin ryori interpretation of what you might call dusted kosher—a purity of seasoning that elevates the essence of the ingredient.

Ingredients

• 4 large fresh Donko shiitake mushrooms, thick-capped
• 1 piece (5cm) dried kombu, toasted until crisp
• 1 tablespoon high-quality flakey kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dehydrated white miso powder
• 2 tablespoons cold-pressed sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon aged tamari
• A few sprigs of young shiso for garnish

Instructions

1. Gently wipe the shiitake mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove any forest debris; do not wash them in water.
2. Trim the stems flush to the cap, scoring the tops of the mushrooms lightly in a diamond katsuramuki pattern to allow the heat to penetrate evenly.
3. In a small ceramic mortar and pestle, grind the toasted kombu, miso powder, and flakey kosher salt together until it becomes a fine, ethereal dust.
4. Whisk the sesame oil and tamari together in a small bowl and lightly brush the mushroom caps.
5. Prepare the binchotan charcoal until it glows white with a steady, flameless heat.
6. Place the mushrooms on the grill, gill-side down first, for 2 minutes to seal the moisture.
7. Flip the mushrooms and grill until the natural juices begin to pool in the center of the upturned caps and the edges are slightly charred.
8. Remove from the heat and immediately sprinkle the prepared umami kosher dust over the mushrooms using a fine sieve.
9. Arrange on an asymmetric ceramic plate and garnish with a single leaf of torn shiso to honor wabi-sabi.

Serve this while the smoke still lingers in the gills of the mushroom. Each bite is a reminder of the forest floor and the purity of the season. The dust should feel like a light frost on a spring morning. I hope it brings a moment of stillness to your day. Enjoy the simplicity of being.

Hiroshi