It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out what "chicken leg" mushrooms were. The author mentions that they are native to China but now cultivated in western Canada. I figured that would make them easy to find here, but I'd never heard of "chicken leg" mushrooms before. It turns out this is just another name for king oyster mushrooms! Which are, indeed, very easy to find in just about any grocery store here.

Chicken with Chicken Legs

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

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp. ginger juice
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. white peppercorns, ground
• 2 tsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
• 350g boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 6cm strips, 6x6mm in cross-section

Sauce

• 1/2 c. Chicken Stock
• 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch (cornflour)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. white peppercorns, ground

Stir-Fry

• 4 1/2 Tbsp. peanut (or other high smoke point) oil, divided
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. peeled minced ginger
• 1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 onions, julienned
• 1/4 c. julienned carrots
• 1/2 c. julienned bamboo shoots
• 64 water chestnuts (preferably fresh), julienned
• 150g king oyster (chicken leg) mushrooms, cut into 6mm thick discs and then 12mm wide strips
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine

Directions

Marinade

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Add chicken and toss to coat.
3. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.

Sauce

1. Combine all sauce ingredients, mix well, and set aside.

Stir-Fry

1. Heat wok over high heat for 30-60 seconds.
2. Add 2 1/2 Tbsp. of the oil and swirl to coat wok.
3. Add ginger and salt and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds.
4. Add onions and stir-fry for 1 minute.
5. Add carrots and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
6. Add the bamboo shoots and cook for another minute.
7. Add the water chestnuts and continue stir-frying for 1 minute.
8. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute more.
9. Remove from heat and transfer vegetables to a bowl.
10. Make sure there are no bits left in the wok and return it to high heat for 30 seconds.
11. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil and swirl to coat.
12. Add the garlic and give it a quick stir.
13. Add the chicken along with its marinade and spread out to form a single layer in the wok.
14. Cook for ~90 seconds and then turn, mix well, and stir-fry for another 60-90 seconds.
15. Drizzle the wine around the edges of the wok and cook for ~30 seconds.
16. Return the vegetables to the wok and stir to mix.
17. Make a well in the centre of the stir-fry, stir the sauce to be sure it's well-mixed, and pour it into the well.
18. Stir-fry for ~2 minutes more. (The sauce should boil and thicken.)
19. Serve with rice.

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.

Photo goes here.

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