Jade Wood Ear with Prawns and Scrambled Eggs

Name: Jade Wood Ear with Prawns and Scrambled Eggs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: Side dish for 2–3
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 12 g Xianyitang dried jade wood ear, from a 180 g pack; dried weight; 200 g Raw peeled, tail-off, deveined prawns, prepared weight; 3 Medium eggs; 15 g Spring onions, finely sliced; 5 g Fresh ginger, finely shredded; 15 ml, divided Neutral oil: 5 ml for prawns and 10 ml for eggs; 3 ml Sesame oil, for the eggs; 3 g Cornflour, for the eggs; 15 ml Cold drinking water, for the cornflour slurry; 1 g, adjust to taste Salt: roughly half for the eggs and half to finish; adjust to taste; About 500 ml; about 1 litre separate water Lukewarm drinking water for soaking; about 1 litre separate water for cooking, enough to submerge

Thick jade wood ear · Cooked prawns · Soft egg folds

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Cooked jade wood ear, prawns and soft scrambled eggs on a plate, with a 180 g pouch behind.

Fully cooked jade wood ear brings a crisp bite to prawns and soft scrambled eggs. Use 12 g dried wood ear from the 180 g pack, rehydrate in lukewarm water and follow the pack cooking stage before the final stir-fry.

ServesSide dish for 2–3

SoakingAbout 15–30 minutes

CookingAbout 50–80 minutes

Total time (including soaking)About 75–120 minutes

Times are estimates and some preparation can overlap cooking. Check that fungi are soft throughout and use the doneness checks in the method; thicker ingredients or smaller pans may take longer. If using frozen prawns, thaw in the fridge following the pack first; allow extra thawing time.

Dried jade wood ear, a water-filled soaking bowl, raw peeled prawns, three eggs and seasonings.

Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.

Ingredients

Xianyitang dried jade wood ear, from a 180 g pack; dried weight 12 g
Raw peeled, tail-off, deveined prawns, prepared weight 200 g
Medium eggs 3
Spring onions, finely sliced 15 g
Fresh ginger, finely shredded 5 g
Neutral oil: 5 ml for prawns and 10 ml for eggs 15 ml, divided
Sesame oil, for the eggs 3 ml
Cornflour, for the eggs 3 g
Cold drinking water, for the cornflour slurry 15 ml
Salt: roughly half for the eggs and half to finish; adjust to taste 1 g, adjust to taste
Lukewarm drinking water for soaking; about 1 litre separate water for cooking, enough to submerge About 500 ml; about 1 litre separate water

Method

Rehydrate and rinse the jade wood ear

Pick over and rinse 12 g dried jade wood ear. Cover in a roomy bowl with about 500 ml lukewarm drinking water, approximately 30–40°C. Following the pack, soak for 15–30 minutes until the lobes open and are soft throughout. Check and continue as needed, without leaving it at room temperature for prolonged periods; if preparation must wait, cover and move to a fridge at 5°C or below. Discard soaking water, rinse each lobe and tear into 3–4 cm pieces. This is thick white wood ear, not frilly snow fungus; expansion or colour does not prove it is cooked.

Milky-white ear-shaped jade wood ear lobes soaking in lukewarm water, with dried pieces alongside.

Cook the jade wood ear first

Cover the rehydrated pieces with about 1 litre fresh drinking water. Bring to the boil and maintain a steady gentle boil for about 40–60 minutes, following the pack, until thoroughly cooked and even the thickest parts are tender enough to bite. Keep submerged, topping up with boiling water if needed. Drain. Do not let the pan boil dry or replace this step with a quick stir-fry. Do not use soaking water.

Prepare the prawns and eggs

Thaw frozen prawns fully in the fridge following their pack, drain, pat dry and weigh 200 g prepared prawns. Beat the eggs with sesame oil and about 0.5 g salt. Mix 3 g cornflour with 15 ml cold water; stir again before adding it to the eggs later. Prepare the ginger and spring onions, keeping raw prawn utensils separate from cooked fungi.

Cook the prawns

Heat 5 ml oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the ginger for about 30 seconds. Spread the prawns out, cook for about 2–4 minutes and turn, until firm and opaque with no raw translucent centre. Size and actual doneness determine the time. Transfer to a clean bowl, never the raw prawn bowl, and have the cooked wood ear ready.

Gently fold the eggs and combine

Stir the slurry again and beat it into the eggs. Add the remaining 10 ml oil to the pan. Pour in the eggs over medium heat and gently push from the edges towards the centre to make soft folds, not one flat omelette. When mostly set, fold in the cooked wood ear, cooked prawns and spring onions for about 1–2 minutes, until all egg is set and the dish is hot throughout. Continue gently cooking if any liquid raw egg remains. Finish with the remaining salt to taste and serve immediately.

A spatula gently folding set eggs with fully cooked wood ear and prawns.

Cooking tips

Cook the jade wood ear first; the estimate includes the pack cooking stage, so this is not a five-minute dish.
Weigh prepared prawns. Set the eggs completely while keeping soft folds; do not rely on heat on the plate to finish raw eggs or prawns.
Jade wood ear is thick white wood ear, distinct from snow fungus; use the corresponding product rather than applying another fungus cooking time.

Allergens

Contains egg, crustaceans from prawns and sesame from sesame oil. The Xianyitang pack states that it is packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check every actual ingredient label.

Storage and reheating

Keep raw prawns and rehydrated fungi refrigerated at 5°C or below; follow prawn pack instructions. Separate raw and cooked utensils and clean hands and tools after handling raw prawns. Divide cooked leftovers into shallow containers, cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 48 hours or freeze. Reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.

Shop the Xianyitang ingredients for this recipe

Actual Xianyitang jade wood ear packaging, 180 g. — Actual packaging reference · Jade wood ear 180 g

Dried Jade Wood Ear 180 g