Spicy Black Oyster mushroom salad
This recipe is from one of my favourite go-to spots for authentic Chinese recipes- Woks of Life. Like most of the dishes I have tried from their website, this does not disappoint! The textures and flavours of this mushroom salad are amazing and I kept going back in for another bite… Did I mention how quickly it comes together?! It is well worth the little bit of extra effort it takes to get Sichuan peppercorns in Lewis County.
serves 2-4
Ingredients:
2c shredded Black pearl or King oyster mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 thin slices of ginger, minced
2 scallions, chopped with white and green parts separated
1 Thai chili, or chili oil to taste
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons of soy sauce or coconut aminos
1 teaspoon oyster sauce, vegetarian or regular
½ – 1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon five spice powder
1 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Directions:
Shred the mushrooms into thin strips between your thumb and forefinger. Blanch for 90 seconds in boiling water. Drain with a sieve and set aside.
Make the dressing: In a large heatproof bowl, arrange the minced garlic, minced ginger, the while part of the chopped scallion, and the minced Thai chili if using. Group each different aromatic into separate piles next to each other…don’t blend together!
Infuse the Sichuan peppercorns in oil: in a small pot, heat the oil with the Sichuan peppercorns over low heat until fragrant, taking care not to burn the peppercorns. After about 10 minutes, remove the peppercorns from the oil using a strainer or slotted spoon. Continue to heat the infused oil until it begins to smoke. Carefully pour it over the arranged aromatics in the bowl. It will bubble and sizzle! Stir to evenly distribute the heat.
Add in the sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt and five spice powder. Mix well. Add in the green parts of the scallion and the cilantro. Toss the blanched mushrooms in the dressing and serve!
