Gambas al Ajillo is one of my fallback meals when I have no time, and I need to get dinner on the table quickly. It's easy, delicious, and versatile enough to serve with bread, potatoes, pasta, or even rice.

Here in Japan, I've seen all sorts of seafood prepared with garlic (al ajillo), but after seeing one made with shiitake mushrooms on a menu a while back, I took a mental note to try it. Spoiler: It's brilliant.

Shiitake mushrooms are much less messy than shrimp, yet they share some common characteristics: like a unique texture and heaps of umami. I think I may actually prefer this to the original, and it's insanely good with some crusty bread to dip in the garlicky oil.