Recipe: ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Chicken’ Oyster Mushrooms
My recent Chinese Vegan Guide to Fake Meat was not intended as a diatribe against fake meat, though I still personally believe that if you are concerned about your nutrition as a vegan, you would do best to stick to plant based whole foods that have been through as little processing as possible, and minimise intake of sugar, salt and other additives in your diet.
For those who still love to replicate the taste and texture of meat, here is a recent recipe that surprised and delighted a number of guests for whom I cooked. The key ingredient is oyster mushrooms; of all the edible mushrooms they seem to have the texture — when cooked sensitively — most similar to chicken. Unfortunately, whenever I see oyster mushrooms offered on vegetarian menus at restaurants, they are always deep fried. Not only is that not ideal if you’re trying to eat healthily, but it does a disservice to the delicate texture and nutty flavour of oyster mushrooms.
These oyster mushrooms are best left for at least a day to allow them to sponge up the sauce. They develop a pleasingly smooth and silky mouthfeel; I always think of the Chinese use of the word 滑, pronounced ‘waat’, to describe slippery, silky or smooth in relation to all manner of things from tofu to hair or wet floors!
Let me know if you try this recipe and share your results on Instagram with #CelestialPeach.
Ingredients
~ 250g fresh oyster mushrooms
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp caster sugar
Pinch of grated ginger (optional)
Pinch of sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
Wash the oyster mushrooms and slice into neat, even-sized strips.
Steam the mushrooms for three minutes until ‘al dente’.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients.
Place the mushrooms in a reusable container with a lid and pour the dressing over, ideally covering the mushrooms.
Toss the mushrooms now and again to ensure they soak up as much sauce as possible.
