Tag: shiitake mushrooms

Adam Liaw’s Lions’ Heads

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Serves: 4

I almost didn’t cook this dish on account of – wait for it – the photo of the recipe in Adam Liaw’s book Asian After Work though my goodness, I’m glad I did.

Nat and I had a late Sunday lunch on Sydney’s Spit and wanted something easy and yummy for a later supper.

Talk about just god damn moorish. The stock becomes slightly oily and is filled with such a wonderful Chinese flavour. Add in those shiitake muchrooms.

And then the fried and then poached pork balls.

With some rice at the side, this is absolutely Chinese comfort. Curled up on the couch with a beer watching Yellowstone (yes, we are late to the series though how bloody good!), this was the perfect way to end the weekend.

Add this recipe to your backlog. Tick tick tick. It’s brilliant.

Ingredients

8 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 Chinese cabbage, cut into 5cm lengths
Vegetable oil for shallow frying
500ml quality white chicken stock
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1/4 tsp caster sugar
2 spring onions, white and green parts, trimmed and sliced, to serve
Cooked Jasmine rice, to serve

Lions’ Head Meatballs

750gm pork mince
2 – 3 spring onions, white and light green partsm trimmed and minced
1 tsp grated sugar
1 eg yolk
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp Shaoxing wine
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
A pinch of white pepper
A pinch of caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Method

  1. Rinse the shiitake mushrooms quickly under running water and soak in 1 1/2 c boiling water for at least 20 minutes until softened. Trim and discard the strems, slice the caps, and reserve the liquid.
  2. For the meatballs, mix together all the ingredients and shape into 4 large balls. Sprinkle with the additional 2 tbsp of cornflour to coat, and set aside.
  3. Place the cabbage and shiitake mushrooms in the base of a large casserole dish. Deep or shallow-fry the meatballs in plenty of oil until well browned all over. Place the meatballs on top if the cabbage and pour over the stock, soy sauce, wine, sugar and reserved shiitake steeping liquid. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the cabbage is very soft. Scatter with spring onions and serve with rice.

Mushroom Risotto

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 6

When I was a much younger man, I used to make mushroom risotto all the time.

In hindsight, I used too much white wine and not having the waiting, scalding stock was truly counterproductive.

I also didn’t used reserved mushrooms which are half the mushrooms in this recipe, a suggestion of Nat’s and one that just adds meat, epecially with the cup of reserved soaking water. And set aside at least 30 minutes to saute the mushrooms.

Quiet winter Saturday lunch with a glass of white?

I think I am going to get back into mushroom risotto. Nat said it was the best she has had and that for me is the door ajar!

Ingredients

6 c chicken stock or broth, heated in a pan
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
500gm brown or other mushrooms, thinly sliced
100gm dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for an hour, then sliced; reserve 1 c of the soaking water
2 eschallots, diced
1 1/2 c Arborio rice
1/2 c dry white wine
4 tbsp softened butter
3 tbsp finely chopped chives
1/3 c grated Parmesean cheese
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Method

  1. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frypan and saute the mushrooms for a good 20 – 30 minutes, seasoning to taste. Set aside.
  2. At the same time, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to a saucepan over a low-medium heat and saute the eschallots for a minute or two. Add the rice, coat with the oil and slowly toast until their colour is pale, golden. About 2 minutes.
  3. Pour in the wine and stir until the wine is full absorbed. Laddle 1/2 c of the hot stock and stir until combined. Continue this process – adding the reserved soaking liquid at some point – until the risotto is creamy.*
  4. Stir in the reserved mushrooms, butter, Parmesan and chives and stir through. Season and serve immediately. With white wine!

* It is a personal preference, though I prefer a creamy risotta and not one with bite. Obviously, cook it to your preference.


Steamed Chinese Chicken with Ginger and Shiitakes

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 4

This is one of the simplest, most effective, tastiest dishes you can cook.

And the most healthiest.

Read through the ingredients and you’ll understand why you are almost obliged to serve it with some steamed rice… because otherwise, there is almost literally nothing there.

Which is not to say it is subtle, though it is delicate.

Thank the rice wine, sesame oil and ginger for that.

I promise you will cook this again and again and you will never be bored of it.

Brilliant.

Ingredients

4 x 150gm chicken breast fillets
Salt and white pepper
1 ½ tbsp Chinese rice wine
8cm piece ginger, cut into matchsticks
6 small dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes, stalks removed and sliced
1 bunch baby (Dutch) carrots
1 bunch Chinese broccoli (gai lan), chopped
2 tsp sesame oil
Spring onions, thinly sliced to serve
Coriander leaves to serve
Steamed Jasmine rice

Method

  1. Slice the chicken on an angle (1cm slices) and combine with the rice wine, salt and plenty of white pepper in a bowl. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
  2. Place chicken, overlapping onto a heatproof plate. Scatter ginger and mushrooms over the chicken.
  3. Place in a bamboo steamer and steam for 8-9 minutes or until cooked. (If you have a multi-level steamer, place the carrots and chopped broccoli on a plate on top of the chicken for the last 3 minutes of chicken cooking time until just tender; otherwise, blanch in boiling water.)
  4. Divide chicken, carrots and broccoli among serving plates. Drizzle oil on top and scatter with onion and coriander. Serve with steamed rice.

Chinese Ground Chicken Bowl

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Serves: 4

Name aside, this is a wonderful mid-week dish I found on a blog, Ominvore’s Cookbook.

I have adjusted it slightly and it really is a set-and-forget sort of dinner.

Get your chicken simmering, cook your rice, prepare your bok choy and heat up the pan to cook the eggs.

Which means more time for a wine on the couch discussing the progress of your new baby. Or puppy. Or whatever is progressing in your life.

We have done a few minced pork and chicken recipes lately and could there be anything better after a long day?

This dish is no exception.

Ingredients

4 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine (or Japanese sake which we used)
2 tsp sugar
¼ tsp Chinese five spice powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
500gm ground chicken breast (chicken mince)
50gm shiitake mushrooms
1 cup frozen baby peas
4 eggs
2 cups of steamed rice
Baby bok choy, sauteed quickly in a hot pan with a splash of vegetable oil, sesame oil, light soy sauce, black bean sauce and chilli sauce

Method

  1. In a small bowl, mix together the light soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, five spice powder and salt.
  2. Place the shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and pour over boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes, drain well and chop.
  3. Heat a wok over a medium heat and add the oil; when warm, add the ginger and garlic and stir, cooking for a minute until fragrant. Add the chicken mince, breaking up and stir until the chicken is slightly browned.
  4. Add the shiitake mushrooms, the light soy sauce mixture and 1 cup of hot water. Partially cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the sauce is mostly absorbed. Add the peas, stir for a minute and take off the heat, stirring until the peas are warmed through.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the rice and prepare the bok choy.
  6. When the chicken is close to done, add some oil to a pan, heat to medium and cook the eggs, crisping the edges though keeping the yolk runny.
  7. Cook the bok choy.
  8. Serve the chicken mince on the rice with the egg on top and the bok choy at the side.