// MAKES 4 CUPS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 cups shiitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 cup Vegetable Stock
½ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
In a large saucepan over high heat, heat the oil. When the oil begins to smoke, add the mushrooms and sauté until they’re caramelized, about 10 minutes. And don’t forget, as Julia Child says, “don’t crowd the mushrooms.” Work in batches to ensure you can caramelize and do not sweat the mushrooms.
Stir in the stock, soy sauce, sesame oil, sake, sugar, and pepper and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until most of the liquid has reduced. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a sheet pan to allow the mushrooms to cool.
Transfer the mushrooms to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator.