Prep Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients: resource thewoksoflife.com
2 ½ ounces Small dried Chinese mushrooms
10 ounces Baby bok choy, bottoms trimmed and split in half
lengthwise
2 ½ tbsps Oil, divided
1 tsp Salt
2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
1 tbsps Shaoxing wine
¼ tsp Dark soy sauce
1 ½ tbsps Regular soy sauce
1 tbsp Oyster sauce (can use vegetarian oyster sauce)
1 ½ tsp Sugar
1/8 tsp Sesame oil
1/8 tsp White pepper
Cornstarch (1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water)
Directions:
1. Place the dried Chinese mushrooms into a medium bowl and pour 2-3 cups of hot water over them. Place a plate over the bowl so the mushrooms are completely submerged. Because the mushrooms are small, they should reconstitute quickly. After 15 mins, cut off the stems of the mushrooms and return them to the water to soak for another 15 minutes.
2. Wash your cut Shanghai bok choy in a large bowl of water so the vegetables are fully submerged. Agitating or stirring the vegetables in the water will release any dirt or sand. Repeat this process another 2 times or as necessary, until the water is clean and there is no sand or dirt at the bottom of the bowl.
3. After the mushrooms are done soaking, transfer to a plate and gently squeeze out the excess water. Set the mushrooms and the soaking water aside.
4. Bring 6 cups of water, 1 tbsp oil and 2 tsp salt to a boil. Blanch the bok choy for 40 seconds, stirring occasionally. They should be just wilted and bright green. Scoop out the boy choy into a bowl and pour 2 cups of cool water over them. The water will stop the cooking process, but you don't want your veggies to be ice cold, so pour the bok choy into a colander right after they’ve been submerged in the cool water. Drain.
5. Next, arrange the bok choy into a circle around a large serving plate, with a space in the middle for the mushrooms.
6. Heat the wok over medium high heat. Spread 1 tbsp oil around the perimeter. Add the garlic and mushrooms and stir fry for 10 seconds. Stir in the Shaoxing wine.
7. Carefully pour the mushroom soaking water into the wok, making sure that you don’t pour any sediment from the bowl into the wok.
8. While the liquid comes up to a simmer, add dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil and white pepper. Stir until combined and turn the heat down to simmer for 5 minutes
9. Mix the cornstarch mixture and slowly pour it into the sauce while stirring constantly. Allow the mushrooms cook for an additonal minute, taste the sauce. If needed, re-season with more soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce to your own preference.
10. Add more hot water if the sauce is too thick or more cornstarch mixture if the sauce is too thin. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
11.Transfer the mushrooms and sauce to the center of your cooked baby bok choy and serve immediately.