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Braised Chinese Mushrooms Stuffed With Pork And Water Chestnuts
(Tung - Ku - Nidng - Jou)
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| What You Need: |
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20 dried Chinese mushrooms, 1 to 1½ inches in diameter, or substitute fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine, or pale dry sherry
½ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ pound boneless pork shoulder, finely ground
4 peeled fresh water chestnuts or drained canned water chestnuts, finely chopped
20 small leaves of Chinese parsley (cilantro), or substitute flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 tablespoon peanut oil, or flavorless vegetable oil
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| How To Cook: |
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PREPARE AHEAD:
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1. In a small bowl, cover the mushrooms with 2 cups of warm water and let them soak for 30 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon.
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2. Strain the mushroom water through a fine sieve and save ¼ cup of it. With a cleaver or sharp knife, cut away and discard the tough stems of the mushrooms.
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3. Combine in a small bowl the soy sauce, wine, sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, and stir to dissolve the cornstarch. Add the ground pork and water chestnuts, and, with your hands or a large spoon, mix them together thoroughly.
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4. Sprinkle a little cornstarch on the stem sides of the mushrooms (using about 1 teaspoon in all), then fill them with the pork mixture-dividing the filling equally among them and smoothing it flat with a small knife or your finger. Place a parsley leaf on top of each filled mushroom.
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TO COOK:
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1. Set a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat for about 30 seconds. Pour in 1 tablespoon of oil, swirl it around in the pan, then arrange the mushrooms side by side, stuffing side up, in a single layer in the bottom of the pan.
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2. Reduce the heat to moderate and let the mushrooms cook for about a minute to brown them lightly. Pour ¼ cup of the reserved mushroom-soaking water into the pan, bring to a boil and cover the pan tightly.
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3. Reduce the heat to its lowest point and simmer the mushrooms for 15 minutes. Then stir the oyster sauce into the pan liquid and, with a large spoon or bulb baster, baste each mushroom lightly.
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4. Cover the pan for a moment longer, then transfer the mushrooms to a heated platter with a slotted spatula or spoon. Serve hot.
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