Perfectly imperfect　: Marinated Japanese Mushroom Mix

Today I am introducing one of my favorite mushroom recipes, marinated Japanese mushrooms in white wine vinegar.

At most supermarkets, we are seeing many varieties of mushrooms including some standard Japanese varieties. I think most of us are familiar with Shitake mushrooms but have you tried some of the others like Shimeji, Enoki, or Maitake mushrooms? I love these mushrooms and I add them to my cooking whenever possible. Not only are they very delicious but also they are very healthy for us too.

The combination of the flavorful Japanese mushrooms with the mildly sour vinegar taste is just amazing. Using variety of mushrooms has a deeper flavor than just the standard mushroom alone. I also like the different textures of the mixed Japanese mushrooms. This marinated mushroom dish is a great snack, a side for your meal, or a perfect munchies to serve for your summer gatherings.

Marinated Japanese Mushroom Mix

· 5 shiitake mushrooms

· 1 pack of Shimeji mushrooms

· 1 pack of Enoki mushrooms

· 250g to 300g of button mushrooms

· 1 to 2 cloves of garlic

· 5 tablespoons or more of olive oil

· 4 to 6 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

· 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of salt

· a pinch of black pepper

1. Cut the shiitake mushrooms into 4 to 5 mm slices and each button mushrooms into quarter pieces. Remove the hard end of Shimeji mushrooms and tear them apart. Cut the Enoki mushrooms in half length-wise and tear them apart.

2. Add olive oil and lightly mashed garlic into a hot pan. Don't burn the garlic.

3. When the aroma of garlic is strong, add all the mushrooms into the pan and gently stir-fry them over medium to high heat.

4. When the mushrooms start to soften, add salt and pepper. Make sure to add the salt only after the mushrooms soften, as salt adds extra moisture to the mushrooms.

5. Add white wine vinegar and continue to stir-fry until the extra liquid evaporates.

6. Turn off the heat and transfer the mushrooms into a clean container, like a jar. To keep the mushrooms fresh longer, add olive oil into the container up to the point where it just covers all the mushrooms. Keep refrigerated for at least a day.