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You are here: Home / Recipes / Recipes by Dietary Preferences / Gluten-Free Recipes / Chinese Braised Shiitake Mushrooms (Men Dong Gu)

Chinese Braised Shiitake Mushrooms (Men Dong Gu)

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Originally posted on January 24, 2017. Last updated on October 22, 2018 By Bee Leng Leave a Comment

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Chinese Braised Mushrooms in large bowl

STORY BEHIND THE RECIPE

Eating Chinese Braised Mushrooms every Chinese New Year has been a luxurious family tradition for as long as I can remember, from the time when my mother used to cook this dish for the family. (See my 7 picks for reunion dinner family favourites here!)

As I was preparing Chinese Braised Mushrooms for CNY, the flavourful aroma that wafted out from the kitchen while the mushrooms were being braised reminded me of the happy memories of past CNYs. Now that I have my own children and grandchildren, I continue to uphold this family tradition by making this dish without fail.

Chinese Braised Mushrooms is considered auspicious by the Chinese because it contains mushrooms which represents wholeness, dried oysters (‘ho xi’ in Cantonese or ‘hao shi’ in mandarin) which represents all good things, and ‘fatt choy’ – a thin hair-like black mossy vegetable, which symbolizes prosperity!

 

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DISH

  • It’s a delicacy! Mushrooms are expensive, and reasonably so. Cooked rightly, and you’ll get tender, juicy meat, burst with the stock that the mushroom has soaked up in. Decadent!
  • It’s a versatile dish, and you have leftovers, you could just add this dish to other dishes to make a new dish altogether. More tips on that below!

Shitake Mushrooms on uncooked ikan bilis

HOW TO MAKE CHINESE BRAISED MUSHROOMS? 

  1. Wash the pork fat and cut into 2cm squares
  2. Wash the scallop and mushrooms and soak separately in hot water for 30 mins
  3. Soak the Fatt Choy in tap water until it expands ( abt 5-10 mins). Wash the Fatt Choy a few times and squeeze dry. Put aside for later use.
  4. When the mushrooms are soft, remove the stalk. Squeeze the mushroom dry individually and set aside
  5. Wash the ginger and remove the skin. Grate it and squeeze out the juice.
    Ingredients from braised mushrooms
  6. Add the ginger juice to the mushrooms and rub it in with your hands and let stand for 30 mins. Wash the parsley and cut into 3 cm lengthwise.
  7. Place the diced pork fats in the wok and fry over medium heat until the fats become golden brown and crispy. Turn off the heat.
  8. Place the pork lard on a metal sieve and drain. Once cool, place the lard in an air tight container for later use.
  9. Pour out the oil and leaving 3 TBsp in the wok
  10. Put the mushroom in the wok and stir fry it till it is well coated with the oil over medium heat for a minute or 2.
  11. Add in the 1.4 litres of water, scallops including the water from the soaked scallops and mushrooms (sieved first),1 1/2 TBsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tsp black soya sauce, 1 tsp light soya sauce, rock sugar and 1 TBsp of the crispy lard. Stir to mix well.
    Adding dark soya sauce to braised mushrooms
    Adding scallop water to braised mushrooms
    Adding mushroom water to braised mushrooms

  12. Transfer the mushroom mixture into a pot and let it cook over high heat. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 1 hour.
  13. Turn the heat to low and continue to simmer for another 1 – 1.5 hours. If the water is not sufficient, more can be added, making sure that the water covers just above the mushroom. Stir constantly to prevent the mushroom from getting burntBraised Chinese Shitake Mushroom in metal pot
  14. (Optional) Add the Fatt Choy to the mushroom during the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.
  15. Add salt to taste if necessary.
  16. Mix 1 TBsp of water to the corn flour and mix well. Slowly pour in the cornflour to the mushroom stirring it until the gravy thickens.
  17. Dish up the mushrooms on a platter. Top with the crispy lard and parsley and serve hot.
    Chinese Braised Mushrooms in chinese large bowl
Read Also:  Home-Style Creamy Mushroom Soup

 

MARKETING TIPS

  1. Choose shiitake mushrooms with shorter stems as you’ll need to remove the stalk from the shiitake mushroom.  Read my short explanation on how to choose shiitake mushroom and how to identify the different grades of shiitake mushrooms for more tips!
    Shiitake Mushroom with long stem
    Shiitake Mushrooms with no stem
    Shiitake Mushrooms

  2. Only buy Fatt Choy if you know the seller well. Nowadays, many people, including restaurants, do not use Fatt Choy anymore because it is fake most of the time. The supply of genuine Fatt Choy is quite scarce now because of over harvesting. Don’t pay a high price for fake stuff.

COOKING TIPS

  1. Don’t overcook the mushroom or it will be tasteless Likewise, use just enough water to cover 1 inch above the mushroom, or it will become tasteless.
  2. Braise the mushrooms for a long period. The longer you braise, the better the taste.
  3. Do not add in the corn flour until it is about to be served. Once the corn flour is added, the mushrooms will get stuck to the bottom of the pot and will get burnt very easily. Once burnt, the mushrooms will taste awful.
  4. Be sure not to cook the Fatt Choy for too long otherwise it will disintegrate and turn mushy.

ADDITIONS

  1. Add Lard oil, lard and ginger juice to enhance the fragrance and texture of the shiitake mushroom. The lard gives the braised mushroom a very smooth and slippery texture.
  2. Add rock sugar to make the mushroom smooth and glossy. Do not add too much otherwise it will taste like sweet dessert.
  3. Add crispy lard only just before serving so that it will remain crispy.

ALTERNATIVES AND STORING

  1. If you are health conscious, use sunflower oil instead. Omit the lard oil and the lard.
  2. Chinese Braised Shiitake Mushroom tastes better if it is cooked a day before. It can also be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
  3. Any leftover braised mushroom can converted into another dish. For example, you can cut broccoli into bite size pieces, and blanch the broccoli in a pot of water with some oil and salt for about 7 minutes. Next, drain the broccoli and arrange it around the edges of a serving dish. Place the braised mushrooms in the centre of the dish and serve.
  4. If the parsley turns limp, revive it by putting it into a big bowl of ice water. It will plump up again in no time.
  5.  If you would like to add dried oysters, you will need to soak them with hot water for 30 mins. Dried oysters usually have a lot of sandy particles and you need to wash them thoroughly and scrap off any sand which may be stuck on the oysters. Add the oysters to the mushroom during the last 30 mins of the cooking time before the mushrooms are done.

 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

7 Reunion Dinner Dishes That Will Wow Your In-Laws This CNY

Seven Treasure Stuffed Celestial Duck

Honey Braised BBQ Pork Rib Recipe

Home-made Barbecued Pork (Bak Kwa) Recipe

 

DIETARY MODIFICATIONS

  • Egg-Free: No modifications needed.
  • Fish-Free: No modifications needed.
  • Gluten-Free: Ensure that the condiments you are using (oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauce) are gluten-free
  • Nut-Free: No modifications needed.
  • Shellfish-Free: Skip the dried scallop. Use vegetarian oyster sauce.
  • Vegan: Skip the dried scallop, lard and lard oil. Use sunflower oil instead. Use vegetarian oyster sauce.
  • Vegetarian: Skip the dried scallop, lard and lard oil. Use sunflower oil instead. Use vegetarian oyster sauce.
Read Also:  Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee (Fried Hae Mee / 炒福建虾面)

 

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Braised Chinese Shitake Mushroom Recipe – Version 2

Chinese Braised Shiitake Mushrooms

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: chinese braised mushrooms, braised shiitake mushrooms, chinese braised shiitake mushrooms
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 4
Calories: 361 kcal
Author: Bee Leng

Ever had Chinese Braised Mushrooms on Chinese New Year? Want to cook it this year for your family? Now you can with this recipe! 

Print

Ingredients

  • 200 gm Dried Chinese Shiitake Mushroom medium-sized
  • 5-6 Dried Scallop
  • 1 knob Ginger
  • 40 gm Pork Fats
  • 2 small pieces Rock Sugar
  • 1.5 TBsp Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tsp Light Soya Sauce
  • 1/2 tsp Dark Soya Sauce
  • 1.4 litres Water
  • 20 gm Fatt Choy
  • 2.5 tsp Corn Flour
  • a pinch Salt
  • 1 stalk Parsley

Instructions

PREPARATION METHOD

  1. Wash the pork fat and cut into 2cm squares
  2. Wash the scallop and mushrooms and soak separately in hot water for 30 mins

  3. Soak the Fatt Choy in tap water until it expands ( abt 5-10 mins). Wash the Fatt Choy a few times and squeeze dry. Put aside for later use.

  4. When the mushrooms are soft, remove the stalk. Squeeze the mushroom dry individually and set aside.

  5. Wash the ginger and remove the skin. Grate it and squeeze out the juice.
  6. Add the ginger juice to the mushrooms and rub it in with your hands and let stand for 30 mins. Wash the parsley and cut into 3 cm lengthwise.

COOKING METHOD

  1. Place the diced pork fats in the wok and fry over medium heat until the fats become golden brown and crispy. Turn off the heat.
  2. Place the pork lard on a metal sieve and drain. Once cool, place the lard in an air tight container for later use.
  3. Pour out the oil and leaving 3 TBsp in the wok
  4. Put the mushroom in the wok and stir fry it till it is well coated with the oil over medium heat for a minute or 2.
  5. Add in the 1.4 litres of water, scallops including the water from the soaked scallops and mushrooms (sieved first),1 1/2 TBsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tsp black soya sauce, 1 tsp light soya sauce, rock sugar and 1 TBsp of the crispy lard. Stir to mix well.

  6. Transfer the mushroom mixture into a pot and let it cook over high heat. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 1 hour.

  7. Turn the heat to low and continue to simmer for another 1 - 1.5 hours. If the water is not sufficient, more can be added, making sure that the water covers just above the mushroom. Stir constantly to prevent the mushroom from getting burnt.

  8. (Optional) Add the Fatt Choy to the mushroom during the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.
  9. Add salt to taste if necessary.

  10. Mix 1 TBsp of water to the corn flour and mix well. Slowly pour in the cornflour to the mushroom stirring it until the gravy thickens.

  11. Dish up the mushrooms on a platter. Top with the crispy lard and parsley and serve hot.

Top Tips

MARKETING TIPS

  1. Choose shiitake mushrooms with shorter stems as you'll need to remove the stalk from the shiitake mushroom.  Read my short explanation on how to choose shiitake mushroom and how to identify the different grades of shiitake mushrooms for more tips!
  2. Only buy Fatt Choy if you know the seller well. Nowadays, many people, including restaurants, do not use Fatt Choy anymore because it is fake most of the time. The supply of genuine Fatt Choy is quite scarce now because of over harvesting. Don't pay a high price for fake stuff.

COOKING TIPS

  1. Don't overcook the mushroom or it will be tasteless Likewise, use just enough water to cover 1 inch above the mushroom, or it will become tasteless.
  2. Braise the mushrooms for a long period. The longer you braise, the better the taste.
  3. Do not add in the corn flour until it is about to be served. Once the corn flour is added, the mushrooms will get stuck to the bottom of the pot and will get burnt very easily. Once burnt, the mushrooms will taste awful.
  4. Be sure not to cook the Fatt Choy for too long otherwise it will disintegrate and turn mushy.

ADDITIONS

  1. Add Lard oil, lard and ginger juice to enhance the fragrance and texture of the shiitake mushroom. The lard gives the braised mushroom a very smooth and slippery texture.
  2. Add rock sugar to make the mushroom smooth and glossy. Do not add too much otherwise it will taste like sweet dessert.
  3. Add crispy lard only just before serving so that it will remain crispy.

ALTERNATIVES AND STORING

  1. If you are health conscious, use sunflower oil instead. Omit the lard oil and the lard. 
  2. Chinese Braised Shiitake Mushroom tastes better if it is cooked a day before. It can also be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
  3. Any leftover braised mushroom can converted into another dish. For example, you can cut broccoli into bite size pieces, and blanch the broccoli in a pot of water with some oil and salt for about 7 minutes. Next, drain the broccoli and arrange it around the edges of a serving dish. Place the braised mushrooms in the centre of the dish and serve.
  4. If the parsley turns limp, revive it by putting it into a big bowl of ice water. It will plump up again in no time.
  5.  If you would like to add dried oysters, you will need to soak them with hot water for 30 mins. Dried oysters usually have a lot of sandy particles and you need to wash them thoroughly and scrap off any sand which may be stuck on the oysters. Add the oysters to the mushroom during the last 30 mins of the cooking time before the mushrooms are done.
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Filed Under: Gluten-Free Recipes, Chinese New Year Recipes, Recipes by Cooking Style, Vegan-Friendly, Braised Recipes, Recipes, Recipes by Cooking Method, Vegetarian-Friendly Recipes, 2 - 3 Hour Recipes, Chinese Recipes, Restaurant-Style Recipes, Recipes by Cuisine, Egg-Free Recipes, Cantonese Recipes, Recipes by Dietary Preferences, Fish-Free Recipes, Recipes by Cooking Time, Asian Recipes, Nut-free, Recipes by Course, Vegetable Recipes, Festive Recipes, Shellfish-Free Recipes, Make-Ahead Recipes, Light and Healthy Recipes Tagged With: Mushroom, Pork Lard

About Bee Leng

Bee Leng spent most of her childhood in the kitchen learning the ropes of Chinese/Cantonese cooking. She loves to shares her treasury of heritage recipes and cooking wisdom gleaned from a lifetime of kitchen (mis)adventures. If you send her a photo of a dish gone awry, she can probably tell what went wrong!

TheBurningKitchen.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

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