The Secret Umami Powerhouse You Probably Already Have in Your Kitchen

All you need is one ingredient and a spice grinder.

Dried shiitake mushrooms are glutamate-rich umami powerhouses. We often rehydrate them to use in recipes—but you can also grind them to a powder that gives a quick boost of earthy, meaty flavor to all kinds of dishes.

How to Make:

Grind dried mushrooms to fine powder in spice grinder or food processor. Store in air-tight container (a clean spice jar works well) and out of direct sunlight.

How to Use:

Add to dishes before or during cooking so that the powder can hydrate, not as a final seasoning at the table like salt; otherwise, it will taste dry and dusty. The amounts listed in the chart below are a good starting point, but you can add more or less to suit your taste.

Try it in	amount
Meaty stews and chilis	1-2 tbs
Ground beef or burgers	1 tbs per lb
Fresh pasta or gnocchi dough	2 tbs per cup of flour
Mushroom risotto	2 tsp
Flour dredge for breaded cutlets	2 tsp
Pan sauces	1 tsp
Spice rubs	To taste
Steaks, chops, scallops, or meaty fish before sautéing or grilling	A sprinkle

Recipe Best Ground Beef Chili

Ground beef chili is convenient, but its texture is often dry and grainy. With this recipe, you don't have to sacrifice flavor for convenience.

Get the Recipe

Juicy Pub-Style Burgers with Crispy Shallots and Blue Cheese

Recipe Juicy Pub-Style Burgers with Pan-Roasted Mushrooms and Gruyere

Hand-ground beef gave us deep flavor, but getting a crusty exterior plus a juicy interior that was evenly rosy from center to edge required a couple more tricks.

Get the Recipe

Recipe Pan-Seared Scallops

Juicy, crisp-crusted pan-seared scallops means overcoming two obstacles: chemically treated scallops and weak stovetops.

Get the Recipe

Leave a comment and join the conversation!

0 Comments

Read & post comments with a free account

Join the conversation with our community of home cooks, test cooks, and editors.

FIRST NAME

First Name is Required

LAST NAME

Last Name is Required

EMAIL ADDRESS

Email Address is Required

How we use your email?

PASSWORD

Password is Required

JOHN C.

16 days

Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!

MILES D.

JOHN C.

9 days

Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!

CHARLES M.

11 days

John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.