Matsutake Gohan (Wild Pine Mushroom Rice)

Instructions

1. Rinse 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice under running water several times until the water is almost translucent and drain well. Trim off the bottom of the stems of 7 oz matsutake mushrooms. Thoroughly clean the mushrooms with a damp towel or paper towel. Don't wash the mushrooms. Slice lengthwise into ⅛-inch (3-mm) slices.
2. In the inner pot of a rice cooker, put the well-drained rice, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp mirin, and 1 Tbsp sake. Add the dashi to the 3-cup water line of the inner pot; you don't need to use all 2½ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock). Add the matsutake mushrooms on top of the rice (do not mix!) and start cooking. Rice cookers these days include 10 minutes of soaking time; However, I recommend soaking the rice for 15–30 minutes before cooking. Tip: Rice cooks evenly when it's not mixed with other ingredients. If you don't have a rice cooker, you can cook rice with a pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
3. When the rice is cooked, mix it gently. Garnish with 6 sprigs of mitsuba (Japanese parsley) on top and serve.
4. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the freezer for a month. I recommend freezing the rice over refrigerating as the rice gets dry and hard in the fridge. Read more about How to Store Cooked Rice.