Recipe: ‘Zero Ducks Given!’ Pulled Oyster Mushrooms Pancakes
Sometimes it’s not always about having the finest knife skills in the kitchen. Hand tearing mushrooms, rather than cutting them with a knife, separates the pieces along the cell walls, preserving the fibres and therefore nutrients. It’s satisfyingly therapeutic to prepare and an enjoyably tactile part of the cooking process. I have previously expounded on the benefits of eating with hands, and this very much applies to the preparation too.
Oyster mushrooms are perfect for making vegan dishes with a ‘pulled’ texture, since they separate nicely in vertical strips. When shredded, the mushrooms look remarkably like sliced pig ears with their crunchy cartilage! Long gone are the days when I enjoyed a Sichuan-style cold pig’s ear salad but this calls for some experimentation another day.This vegan version of Peking duck wraps is so convincing that you might prefer it to the meat version. You can also use it in tacos, burgers, or anything that calls for pulled meat.
Let me know if you try these recipes and share your results on Instagram with #CelestialPeach.
Ingredients (serves 4 as a main, 6 as a starter)
250g oyster mushrooms
250g variety of mixed mushrooms (or you can use twice the amount of oyster mushrooms)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp honey (not vegan) or plum sauce or maple syrup
2 tsp chipotle chilli flakes or paprika
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
To serve:Ready-to-eat Chinese pancakes
Spring onions, thinly sliced into equal matchstick lengths
Cucumber, thinly sliced into equal matchsticks lengths
Hoisin or plum sauce
Instructions
Carefully shred each mushroom vertically along the cell walls until very thin strips.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and slowly sweat the mushrooms for around 10 minutes on a low heat.
Add the remaining ingredients, mix well, and allow everything to simmer in the pan at the lowest heat possible for up to 45 minutes.
If there is still too much water in the pan, bring everything to a boil for a few minutes until the mushroom mix dries out.
