Simple yet Scrumptious Oyster Mushroom
Oyster mushrooms are my absolute favorite mushroom growing up in China. I remember I would not want to leave the farmer’s market until we got some oyster mushroom when I was a kid.
These mushrooms are so delicious and satisfying, if you have never tried these, please go get some from your local grocery store. Most stores have these nowadays, if you can’t find them, they are always available in Asian markets. Every time I go to my local Asian markets, I have to get some. The possibilities are endless. You can do stir fry these with any meat, mince them up and use in dumpling fillings, enjoy these in hot pots…
Today, I made a simple vegetarian version stir fry. It is so delicious, I did not miss the meat at all.
Ingredients:
1 lb oyster mushrooms, cleaned
1 handful of fresh basil, optional
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp mushroom bouillon
Method:
Wok on stove, heat on medium high. Oil into wok, in goes the garlic slices. Use your hands, tear mushrooms into smaller pieces along the stem fibers. Don’t worry about the thicknesses of each piece, the goal is to have them roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
The garlic slices are covered under all the torn up mushrooms at this point. Don’t panic, lower the heat as needed so the garlic won’t burn, or once you tear up a few pieces of mushrooms, stir the mushrooms and garlic a bit so the mushrooms are at the bottom of the wok, instead of the garlic.
Once all the mushrooms are torn and dropped into the wok, stir them real quick, and pour about 1 cup of water and add the mushroom bouillon. Or, go in with vegetable broth instead. Lid on, simmer for about 5 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through and softened.
Mix the corn flour with about 1/4 cup of cold tap water, and pour into the wok. Stir the mushroom around until it’s thickened. Tear the larger basil leaves by hand and drop into the wok, add the green onions. Add salt to taste and dish up.
The sauce is so shiny and glossy, mushroom is so meaty, with the fragrance of fresh basil. It’s a healthy tasty home run!
