Dried shiitake · Golden firm tofu · Everyday rice accompaniment
Rehydrate 25 g dried shiitake from the Xianyitang 90 g pack, braise until tender and add golden pan-fried firm tofu to absorb the oyster sauce. An everyday rice accompaniment with rehydration and staged cooking instructions. Oyster sauce contains molluscs, so this recipe is not labelled vegan.
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.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
Weigh 25 g dried shiitake, pick over and rinse. Cover in a roomy bowl with about 500 ml lukewarm drinking water, approximately 30–40°C. Following the pack, soak for about 15–30 minutes until every cap, including its thickest centre, is soft with no hard core. Adjust for size and thickness; if a longer soak is needed or cooking must wait, cover and refrigerate at 5°C or below instead of leaving it at room temperature for prolonged periods. Discard soaking water, rinse again, gently press out excess water and trim tough stems. Keep smaller caps whole and halve larger ones. Rehydration is not cooking. The 90 g label is the pack size; this recipe does not use the whole pack.
Heat 5 ml oil in a covered heavy-based pan. Fry ginger, garlic and onion whites over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add caps, 400 ml water, 15 ml soy, 20 g oyster sauce and 3 g sugar. Bring to the boil, cover and gently simmer for 30–45 minutes, turning occasionally and topping up hot water to prevent drying.
Drain and pat the tofu dry before cutting. Heat 15 ml oil in a frying pan and cook pieces in a single layer in batches over medium heat for about 8–10 minutes, turning, until both faces are lightly golden and edges intact. Do not aggressively turn wet silken tofu. Lower the heat if oil spits; remove tofu and keep warm.
Add tofu to the mushrooms, nudging gently without breaking it. Cover and gently simmer for another 10–15 minutes. Even the thickest mushrooms must be fully cooked and tender; extend if needed, with tofu and sauce hot throughout. If too liquid, reduce uncovered briefly, keeping a modest amount of light sauce. Add a little hot water if too concentrated or salty. Finish with 5 g onion greens and serve hot with rice.
Tofu contains soya; soy sauce usually contains soya and wheat (gluten); oyster sauce contains molluscs and may also contain soya or wheat. The Xianyitang pack states that it is packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check every actual ingredient label.
Keep rehydrated fungi at 5°C or below and aim to cook that day. 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.
