Braised oyster mushrooms in soy sauce are quick and cheap, easy to shop for and deeply savory once braised. Bruised green peppercorns bring a fragrant heat, and the sauce reduces until it coats every piece. The hardest part is the water the mushrooms release, which leaves the whole pan thin and bland if the braise is rushed.
The mushrooms must be drained completely, then stir fried briefly to drive off some of that water before the seasoning goes in. Low heat and patience are what bring the sauce to the point where it clings to a chopstick.
This batch weighs about 370g, at roughly 66 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse 250g oyster mushrooms, tear them into bite sized pieces and drain them thoroughly.
Put 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a pan and fry 1 tablespoon chopped shallot until fragrant.
Add the mushrooms and stir fry briefly to drive off some of the water, then add 1 bruised cluster of green peppercorns and 1 bruised chili and stir until fragrant.
Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 50ml water, and braise over low heat until the mushrooms take on the flavor and the sauce thickens.
Serve on a plate, hot, with rice.
Tips
Oyster mushrooms are easier to find than straw or king oyster mushrooms and braise up just as savory.
For cooking without alliums, fry leek in place of the shallot.
Tearing the mushrooms by hand along the grain rather than cutting them keeps the strands chewy and helps them take the sauce.
The mushrooms have to be fully drained before they go in the pan, since any water left leaves the sauce thin and bland.
Bruise the green peppercorns rather than crushing them, since crushed peppercorns turn the pot bitter.
Turn off the heat as soon as the sauce coats the mushrooms, since a long braise makes them rubbery.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.