Vegan oyster sauce from dried shiitake

Rinse four dried shiitake under running water, then cook them in bottled water about 3 hours until soft; keep the water.

Squeeze the water out of the mushrooms, slice thinly and roughly dice.

Return the mushrooms to their water and blend until smooth, like a puree.

In a clean pot, swirl half a cup of sugar with 3 tablespoons of water; do not stir from then on. Cook on medium-low until caramel colored, watching closely once it turns yellow.

When the center turns brown-red, take it off the stove; the pot's heat carries it a little further.

Pour in the mushroom puree and stir on medium-low until the caramel dissolves.

Season with 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1.5 teaspoons of dark soy sauce; taste and adjust sugar or salt.

Off the heat, add cornstarch water in batches to avoid lumps, then stir on medium-low until a scrape across the pot bottom closes very slowly.

Pour into boiled, drained jars and tap out air bubbles. Keeps 10 days at room temperature, 30 days in the fridge, 4 months frozen.