Photo by Trent Blizzard
Provenance of Dish
This dish was inspired by a fellow forager from Thailand. We concocted the idea in the woods while hunting matsutake.
Recipe
Ingredients
1 can unsweetened, full-fat organic coconut milk
¾ cup vegetable stock
1½ cups water
4-inch piece of lemongrass
1½ tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
2 lime leaves (fresh or frozen)
1 medium matsutake, thinly sliced*
½ white onion, sliced
12 baby bok choy leaves
½ jalapeño, chopped (or to taste)
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ lime, juiced (or to taste)
½ teaspoon lime zest
Lime wedges
Chopped cilantro
Fresh jalapeño, thinly sliced
*May substitute frozen or freeze-dried matsutake
Instructions
In a stockpot, combine the liquid ingredients. Split the lemongrass in half and whack both pieces with the back of a knife and add to stock, along with ginger and lime leaves. Bring to a simmer. Cover and steep 10 minutes to help the flavors to infuse.
Add fresh matsutake, onion, baby bok choy, and jalapeño. Bring up to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until onions and bok choy turn tender. Add fish sauce, if using, and then add salt and sugar to taste.
Take off heat and add lime zest and juice to taste, and garnish with lime wedges, cilantro, and jalapeño.
Recipe originally appeared in Wild Mushrooms: A Cookbook and Foraging Guide by Kristen and Trent Blizzard (Skyhorse Publishing, 2020).