These mushrooms were phenomenal! Full of rich, dark umami flavour, beautiful texture... just wonderful. I served them with mushu pork and they made a great accompaniment to that. I found that placing a few mushrooms on top of the pork in place of the hoisin sauce worked quite well. Very nice balance.

Braised Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce

Slightly adapted from Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Ingredients

• 40 dried black (shiitake) mushrooms, ~2.5cm diameter
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. peanut (or other high smoke point) oil
• 2.5cm thick slice of fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
• 60g raw chicken fat, cut into 4 pieces
• 3 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine
• 4 1/2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. white peppercorns, ground
• 1 c. Chicken Stock

Directions

1. Pour hot water over the mushrooms to cover and soak for 30 minutes.
2. Drain, rinse, and squeeze out any excess water.
3. Remove and discard the stems.
4. Heat pot over high heat for 20-30 seconds.
5. Add the oil and heat for another 20-30 seconds.
6. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 10-15 seconds.
7. Add the mushroom caps and stir to mix.
8. Add the chicken fat and stir.
9. Now add the wine, stir, and cook for ~1 minute.
10. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and white pepper and stir to coat the mushrooms.
11. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
12. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
13. Serve hot.

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Variations

Vegetarian Version

Ingredients

• 40 dried black (shiitake) mushrooms, ~2.5cm diameter
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. peanut (or other high smoke point) oil
• 2.5cm thick slice of fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. Scallion Oil
• 3 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine
• 4 1/2 Tbsp. vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. white peppercorns, ground
• 1 c. Chinese Vegetable Stock