Shiitake mushrooms get an umami punch from the dehydrating process, so try it at home! Swap in lion’s mane, portobello, king oyster or whatever’s on hand for a variety of meat-free jerkies that take the ‘being a jerk’ out of making some jerk 😉
You will need
Makes 10
- 800g large fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 240ml soy sauce (or tamari)
- 120ml mirin
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons smoked salt (or regular)
Recipe: Zacchary Bird
Directions
Step 1
To make the jerky, place the mushrooms in a large bowl. Whisk the remaining ingredients, except the smoked salt, in a separate bowl, then pour over the mushroom and massage in the marinade. Cover and place in the fridge for 1-12 hours to marinate (the longer you leave it the better the flavour).
Step 2
Transfer to a dehydrator lined with baking paper and baste the mushroom with the remaining marinade in the bowl. Dehydrate on medium-low for 12 hours, then taste and (if desired) rub in some smoked salt – the jerky’ll taste better a day later so be patient.
Store in an airtight glass jar for up to 3 months.
Hot tip!
A cheap dehydrator makes these jerkies quick and easy however, you can approximate the results by setting your oven to its lowest temperature, placing the marinated jerkies in and leisurely monitoring until you’ve achieved jerky perfection (a few hours give and take from the dehydrator directions).
Recipe: Zacchary Bird
