I wanted something to round out our meal and we had a bunch of mushrooms and hot peppers that needed used, so this recipe seemed like a good fit. I cut back on the peppers a bit due to the Kidlet still being very intolerant of spicy food. The serrano peppers weren't really spicy at all, especially with all their seeds and pith scraped out. There was still a little bit of heat from the spicy bean paste, but it came out as more "flavourful" than "spicy" to my palate. If you want it proper spicy, use the full number of chilies, don't deseed them, and use a hotter variety. It could also be made with bell peppers for a sweeter alternative.

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King Oyster Mushroom Stir-Fry

Slightly adapted from Woks of Life

Ingredients

• 450-500g king oyster (chicken leg/king trumpet) mushrooms
• 5 Tbsp. neutral oil, divided
• 6 (3mm thick) slices of fresh ginger
• 8-10 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. Szechuan spicy bean paste
• 3-5 hot peppers¹, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sugar

Directions

1. Cut each mushroom in half lengthwise. Place each mushroom half cut-side down and make several lengthwise scores/slices almost, but not quite all the way, through. Now make similar scores crosswise (perpendicular to the original score lines), but cut all the way through on every third one.
2. Heat wok over high heat.
3. Add 1/4 c. oil to wok and swirl to coat.
4. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry until slightly golden and cooked down.²
5. Remove the mushrooms from the wok and set aside.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and add remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil to the wok and swirl to coat.
7. Add the ginger slices and cook for 1 minute.
8. Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds.
9. Add the spicy bean paste and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
10. Add peppers and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
11. Return the mushrooms to the wok and add the soy sauce and sugar.
12. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
13. Enjoy over rice or noodles.

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¹ Choose the number and variety of peppers according to your tastes. More and hotter peppers for a very spicy stir-fry, fewer and milder peppers for a less spicy option. For extra mild, remove the seeds and pith/veins from the chilies. For slightly sweet, substitute 1 bell pepper instead. ^Back
2 The original recipe has you carefully laying out mushroom slices, browning them on one side and then flipping them over to brown the other side. Go ahead and do that if you want. I couldn't be arsed, so I just gave them a quick stir-fry in the oil and took them out when they started looking somewhat cooked. ^Back