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I wanted to build a monochrome plate, and that’s how these carrot-wrapped shiitake dumplings came about. I picked the color orange and what says orange better than carrot ?
The carrot dominates visually but it’s almost upstaged by the other star of the dish : the shiitake, deliberately hidden to keep the monochrome intact.
Shiitake is one of my favorite mushrooms for its distinctive flavor but above all, for how versatile it is. Which is exactly what i’m showing here by using it in several ways. In the savory, well-seasoned filling that offsets the mildness of the steamed carrot, and in the robust broth built on ginger, carrot and orange juice, withe rice vinegar for acidity.
Hiding the filling let me give the carrot a different shape : stuffed dumplings that sits in the bowl like jewels or colored lily pads
Few notes before you start
When you buy your carrots, look for ones that aren’t too thin and are roughly the same size. That’s what keeps the ribbons consistent.
Cutting clean ribbons will leave you with a fair amount of trim. Rathen than buying bottled carrot juice, run those scraps through a juicer to get the carrot juice the recipe calls for. You can also fold them into the filling if you’d rather.
When you reduce the shiitake stock with the ginger, orange juice, carrot juice, and rice vinegar, I’ve written 8-10 minutes. That timing really comes down to your palate : Taste the broth as you go, and as soon as the infusion is strong enough for you, cut the heat and emulsify it with an hand blender.
AuthorFatouCategoryDéjeuner/Brunch, Entrées, Healthy, VegetarianDifficultyBeginner
Clean the mushrooms and cut them in half.
Heat the oil in a skillet and sweat the mushrooms for 5 to 7 minutes with a pinch of salt, to draw out their water and flavor.
Add enough water to cover and bring to a bare simmer for 20 minutes.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and set the mushrooms aside for the filling.
Measure out 250 ml (1 cup) of the broth and pour it into a saucepan with the orange juice, carrot juice, sliced ginger, and rice vinegar. Simmer gently over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Taste as you go and, if needed, keep reducing for more concentration.
Strain into a container, add the oil, and blend with an hand blender.
Roughly chop the parsley.
Take the mushrooms used for the broth and blend them with the parsley, olive oil, and miso. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Peel the carrots and trim the ends, keeping 10 cm (4 in) of the widest part.
Using a mandoline, cut them into ribbons of 2mm.
Blanch the ribbons in a saucepan of salted water for 2 minutes, then transfer them immediately to a bowl of ice water to lock in the color and stop the cooking.
Pat dry on a kitchen towel.
Lay 2 ribbons in a cross, place a teaspoon of filling in the center, then fold in each corner to form a wrap.
Steam the dumplings for 7 minutes.
Arrange the dumplings in soup plates or bowls
Reheat the broth and divide it among the plates
Top each dumpling with trout roe.
Ingredients
Directions
Clean the mushrooms and cut them in half.
Heat the oil in a skillet and sweat the mushrooms for 5 to 7 minutes with a pinch of salt, to draw out their water and flavor.
Add enough water to cover and bring to a bare simmer for 20 minutes.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and set the mushrooms aside for the filling.
Measure out 250 ml (1 cup) of the broth and pour it into a saucepan with the orange juice, carrot juice, sliced ginger, and rice vinegar. Simmer gently over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Taste as you go and, if needed, keep reducing for more concentration.
Strain into a container, add the oil, and blend with an hand blender.
Roughly chop the parsley.
Take the mushrooms used for the broth and blend them with the parsley, olive oil, and miso. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Peel the carrots and trim the ends, keeping 10 cm (4 in) of the widest part.
Using a mandoline, cut them into ribbons of 2mm.
Blanch the ribbons in a saucepan of salted water for 2 minutes, then transfer them immediately to a bowl of ice water to lock in the color and stop the cooking.
Pat dry on a kitchen towel.
Lay 2 ribbons in a cross, place a teaspoon of filling in the center, then fold in each corner to form a wrap.
Steam the dumplings for 7 minutes.
Arrange the dumplings in soup plates or bowls
Reheat the broth and divide it among the plates
Top each dumpling with trout roe.