Shitake Brown Rice Pilaf
1 oz. dried shitake mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
2 leeks, mostly white & light green parts
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. fresh shitake mushrooms
2 T vegetable oil
3/4 t salt
1 cup brown basmati rice
1/2 cup pecans, roasted and roughly chopped
4 scallions, minced (for garnish)
DIRECTIONS
Soak dried mushrooms in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Strain and reserve the soaking liquid (you’ll need 2 cups). Finely mince the soaked mushrooms and set aside.
Quarter the leek whites lengthwise and chop into 1/2” dice. Place in a colander and run cold water over them to remove any clinging grit. Stem the fresh shitake mushrooms and slice them thinly.
In a medium-sized pot, heat the oil and saute the leeks, garlic and minced soaked shitakes with 1/2 tsp salt until the leeks are soft. Add rice and continue to saute to toast the rice grains. Add 2 cups of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, the remaining salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to very low and let the rice steam for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit for an additional 10 minutes. Don’t lift the lid during this time!
Before serving, heat another tablespoon of oil in a skillet and sear the sliced shitakes until golden. Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine or balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the cooked rice into a serving dish and gently stir in the sauteed mushrooms and roasted pecans. Garnish with finely minced scallions and serve hot.