Mushroom Rice (in a rice cooker!)

I’m a sucker for mushrooms at the farmers market. If there’s a deal on a bag of “ugly” shiitakes or maitake bits, you can bet I’m bringing them home with me. They may not look perfect, but once they hit the pan (or in this case, the rice cooker), those gnarly edges and little scraps transform into something deeply savory and full of umami.

This mushroom rice is one of my favorite ways to make the most of a good farmers market haul — simple ingredients, set-it-and-forget-it cooking, and a bowl that feels both comforting and a little special. The kombu and soy sauce add a quiet depth in the background, the mushrooms steam until tender (and make our kitchen smell so fragrant!!), and the pat of butter at the end ties it all together.

This recipe is my take on kinoko gohan, a traditional Japanese mixed rice dish that celebrates the earthy depth of seasonal mushrooms. My partner first made this for me on a gloomy fall day early on in our relationship (I think it’s one of the first meals he ever cooked for me!), and it’s especially popular in autumn, when maitake, shiitake, and shimeji are at their peak. It’s often cooked in a donabe (Japanese clay pot) with dashi, soy sauce, sake, and mirin.

i used:

• 1 cup short or medium-grain rice
• 1 cup mushrooms, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces (I recommend including some maitakes and/or shiitakes!)
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sake
• 1/2 tsp mirin
• pinch of salt 
• 1 piece kombu, rinsed
• 1 small pat of butter 

to make:

• rinse the rice and drain well, then add to the rice cooker
• in a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sake, mirin, and salt. pour over the rice
• add 1 cup water (for white rice) and stir to evenly distribute the seasonings
• layer the mushrooms and kombu on top of the rice
• cook using the regular white rice setting
• once cooked, remove the kombu. gently fluff the rice with a paddle, then stir in the butter
• serve topped with scallions, sesame seeds, or a soft egg. enjoy!