We had half of a very large daikon left in the fridge and some mushrooms that needed using, so this dish seemed ideal. I was actually a bit short on daikon and we only had white mushrooms, not shiitake. And I only had about half of the amount of mince called for. Given that, I decided to double the mushrooms. I think this worked quite well! I didn't miss the extra meat and I liked the proportion of daikon to mushrooms.

Braised Daikon Bowls

Slightly adapted from Woks of Life

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tbsp. oil
• 3 star anise
• 2 tsp. sichuan peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 2 c. water
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 4 green onions, chopped, greens and whites separated
• 100-200g ground beef or pork
• 500-700g daikon, peeled and cut into 1x2cm pieces
• 8 shiitake mushrooms or 16 white or cremini mushrooms, sliced thick
• 1 Tbsp. shaoxing wine
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch + 3 Tbsp. water

Directions

1. Heat oil over low heat.
2. Add star anise and sichuan peppercorns and infuse oil for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, salt, soy sauces, oyster sauce, and water and mix well. Set aside.
4. Strain solids out of oil, return oil to wok, and heat over medium heat.
5. Add garlic paste, ginger paste, and the white parts of the green onions and stir-fry for a minute or so.
6. Add the mince and stir-fry, breaking up, until cooked through.
7. Add the diakon and mushrooms and stir-fry for a minute or so.
8. Drizzle the wine around the edges of the wok and toss to combine.
9. Give the sauce a stir and pour it into the wok.
10. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until daikon is tender (~15 minutes).
11. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir and drizzle it into the wok.
12. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until sauce thickens (30-60 seconds).
13. Stir in the green parts of the green onions.
14. Serve over rice.