Foil-Steamed Mushrooms with Lime and Chili
Dried mushrooms rehydrated in a foil packet with garlic, chili, and oil, spooned over instant rice.
- calories
- 540
- weight
- 4.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 120
- protein
- 11 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 25 min
- water
- 400 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Canister stove
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Backpacking
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Dried matsutake or other dried wild mushrooms | 1 oz | porcini or shiitake work if matsutake is out of reach |
|---|---|---|
| Instant white rice | 1 1/2 cups dry | |
| Garlic | 1 clove | or 1/2 tsp granulated garlic |
| Bay leaves | 2 | |
| Dried cilantro | 1 tbsp | stems included if you dried your own |
| Dried lime zest | 1/2 tsp | or a squeeze of lime juice from a bottle |
| Fresno chili | a few thin slices | dried chili flakes are the packable version |
| Dried scallion or chives | 1 tbsp | |
| Sunflower or sesame oil | 2 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Soy sauce | 1 tbsp | packets or a small bottle |
| Kosher or flaked salt | to finish |
Method
- Pour just enough hot water over the dried mushrooms to cover them, about 150 ml. Let them sit 10 minutes, then lift them out. Keep the soaking liquid.
- Lay a double layer of foil down. Pile the mushrooms on it with the garlic, bay, cilantro, lime zest, chili, and scallion. Pour the oil over the top and add two spoonfuls of the soaking liquid.
- Fold the foil into a sealed packet, leaving air space inside so steam can move.
- Set the packet on coals raked flat or on a grill grate over a low fire for 12 to 15 minutes. On a stove, set it in a dry pot with the lid on over the lowest flame.
- Meanwhile, boil 250 ml of water, pour it over the instant rice, and cover for 5 minutes.
- Open the packet away from your face. Fish out the bay leaves. Spoon everything over the rice, add soy sauce and salt, and pour the oil left in the foil over the whole thing.
Matsutake and other strong wild mushrooms get worse when you brown them hard. Steam keeps their smell intact, which is the whole point of carrying them. Foil does what parchment does at home: traps the aromatics against the mushroom and holds the moisture in.
The field version leans on dried everything, since fresh cilantro, scallion, and chili turn to slime by day two. The soaking liquid is the concentrated part, so a couple of spoonfuls go back into the packet rather than down the drain. Oil matters more than it looks like it should. Without it the packet tastes thin and watery, and it is also most of the calories here.
Packing
Mushrooms, bay, and the dried aromatics travel together in one small bag. Rice in its own bag. Oil and soy sauce in leakproof bottles inside a zip bag, because they will find a way out.
Variations
- Add a foil pouch of smoked oysters or a handful of dried tofu for protein.
- Swap the rice for rice noodles softened in the leftover soaking liquid.
- No foil? Simmer everything in the pot with 200 ml of water instead. You lose the trapped steam but keep the flavor.
https://foragerchef.com/matsutake-mushrooms-baked-in-parchment