Thai Hed Dong

I recently received a recipe for Thai “Hed Dong” ( เห็ดดอง ) from Alexander from Yak Thai. The recipe for these pickled mushrooms comes from his wife Chonticha and is based on a similar fermentation principle to Korean kimchi.

As a great lover of mushrooms, I tried it straight away and the result was really delicious. The fermentation gives the mushrooms a slightly sour taste and brings out the flavours of the mushrooms.

Preparation

Firstly, the mushrooms should be carefully cleaned. There should be no soil left on them. In the case of the enoki mushrooms, I cut off the common foot and separated the shimeji from each other.

Then place the mushrooms in a sealable container and mix with salt and fish sauce. Then seal the container airtight and place in the fridge for at least twelve hours. The longer the mushrooms ferment, the more sour they become. After several attempts, I can recommend a resting time of three days.

After fermentation, the mushrooms are boiled. To do this, place the mushrooms and fish sauce in a pan and add just enough water to cover them completely. Then bring the mushrooms to the boil and simmer for about two to three minutes.

Now peel the shallot and cut into fine rings. Then cut the Thai chillies into rings too. Add both to the mushrooms together with a few squeezes of lime juice and mix thoroughly. Put this mixture back into a sealable container.

The finished pickled mushrooms can be served as a dip or side dish with other dishes and you can also make a salad from them.