MISO MUSHROOM RECIPES

Steps:

• Make the dashi: Put kombu, dried shiitakes, soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar in a large soup pot. Add 6 cups cold water. Place over medium heat, allow the liquid to barely reach a boil, then reduce heat to low and let cook at a very slow simmer for about 30 minutes. Skim foam as necessary. Let cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and add salt to taste. (Dashi may be prepared up to 2 days in advance.)
• Put the sliced mushrooms in a bowl and drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce. Add garlic and ginger and season with salt and pepper. Toss and let marinate for 10 minutes.
• Put dashi in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Add mushroom mixture and cook gently for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are just tender.
• Remove 1/2 cup hot broth from pot and place in a small bowl. Stir in miso to dilute, then return miso-broth mixture to the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning. Once the miso has been added, do not let the soup boil.
• To serve, cut the tofu in half and place a 3-ounce chunk in each of two large bowls. Ladle 2 cups of hot soup over the tofu. Sprinkle with enoki mushroom tips, scallions, shiso, sunflower sprouts, nori, red pepper and toasted sesame seeds as desired.  

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
  2. Peel the onions and garlic, then pulse until very fine in a food processor.
  3. Tip into a large casserole pan on a medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Trim, wash, pulse and add the leeks. Saving 2 mushrooms for later, pulse the rest and stir into the pan. Cook it all for 15 minutes, stirring regularly, then season to perfection and turn the heat off.
  4. Meanwhile, for the sauce, pour 3 tablespoons of oil into a separate pan on a medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 2 minutes, then gradually whisk in the milk. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened, then grate in the cheese and season to perfection.
  5. Pour one third of the sauce into a 25cm x 30cm roasting tray. As soon as the filling is cool enough to work with, push both ends of each pasta tube into it to fill, lining them up in the tray as you go. Pour over the rest of the sauce, then finely slice the reserved mushrooms and use them to decorate the top.
  6. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.