Oyster Mushroom and Chiku-wa Stir-fly with Yuzu-kosho 平茸と竹輪の柚子胡椒炒め

I realized I got a package of fresh “Hira-take 平茸” or oyster mushrooms from Weee a week ago and decided to use it up. I came across this recipe using chikuwa 竹輪 fish case and “Maitake 舞茸” hen-of-the-wood. Since I had a package of frozen chikuwa which was getting old, this seemed a perfect recipe except I had oyster mushrooms instead of hen-of-the-woods. Although we also got hen-of-the-woods mushroom at the same time as the oyster mushrooms, I used them in a dish with sage brown butter, and we finished it somedays ago. No problem, I figured the oyster mushrooms should work just as well for this recipe. We especially liked the idea of adding yuzu-kosho 柚子胡椒  (one of our favorites) into the seasoning. Although oyster mushrooms themselves don’t have a strong flavor, the combination of chikuwa and yuzu-kosho worked well. Depending on how strongly you season this dish, this can be a good drinking snack or an accompaniment for rice.

Ingredients:

1 package (6oz) of oyster mushrooms, the root-end removed and separated
6 small chikuwa fishcakes, thawed and cut on the slant into bite sized pieces
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 tbs oil

Seasoning: (mix all ingredients below in a small bowl)
2 tbs x4 concentrated Japanese noodle sauce
2 tbs mirin
1/2 tsp (or more) Yuzu kosho

Directions:
Add the oil to the frying pan on medium flame, add the mushrooms and the fish cake and stir for 1-2 minutes
Add the seasonings and stir for 1 minute
Add the scallions 

The chikuwa itself has some sweetness and the seasonings are a bit on the sweet side as well. Either using soy sauce instead of the noodle sauce and/or reducing the amount of mirin would be better next time. I would also add a dab of yuzu-kosho on the side in case additional seasoning to what is in the sauce is desired.

Impromptu Eggplant Mushroom Stir-fry 茄子と椎茸のオイスターソース炒め

This is an eggplant dish I came up using what I had on hand (#1). I got some ideas from other recipes I saw but I did not base this dish on any one particular recipe. I made simmered pork or “Nibuta 煮豚” the other day. So instead of ground pork, I used finely chopped nibuta. Since we got groceries from Weee this week, I processed fresh shiitake mushrooms by removing the stems. Then I chopped up the stems into small pieces and sauted them with olive oil and finely chopped scallion. I seasoned them with salt and pepper. (This can be used to make other dishes). I placed the shiitake caps in a Ziploc bag with a paper towel to absorb any moisture which comes out of the mushrooms while they are in the fridge. I also washed and blanched fresh wood ear mushrooms and placed them in a Ziploc bag with paper towel too. I have found that processing the mushrooms this way makes them last much longer. Unfortunately, I have not come up with a way to make fresh eggplants last longer, so I have to use them up fairly quickly. So this is my impromptu eggplant stir-fly with shiitake and wood ear mushroom, finely chopped nibuta pork, ginger, scallion and seasoned with Chinese “Shoko-shu 紹興酒” cooking wine, mirin, concentrated noodle sauce and oyster sauce. This was not particularly special but certainly more than edible. All the ingredients I used gave it a lot of flavor

Ingredients:
One large Asian eggplant, stem end removed, and cut into long “ran-giri 乱切り” (#2).
3-4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut in half or quarters
4-6 fresh wood ear mushrooms (previously branched and washed), cut into strips
2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
4-5 slices simmered pork “Nibuta 煮豚”, finely diced
1 tbs of finely chopped shiitake mushroom stems and shallot sautéed in olive oil (optional)
1 tbs finely chopped ginger
2 tbs + 1/2 tbs oil
1 tbs potato starch slurries for thickening the sauce

Seasonings (mix all seasonings in a small bowl)
6 tbs water
2 tbs Chinese “shoko 紹興料理酒” cooking wine
1 tbs x4 concentrated Japanese noodle sauce or soy sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce

Directions:
Add the oil into the frying pan on medium flame, add the eggplant, toss for a few minutes to coat with the oil. 
Turn the skins side down (#2) and cook until skin side browns, turn over and brown the fresh sides and set aside

Add 1/2 tbs oil in the same pan, add the shiitake stem mixture, ginger and stir for 30 seconds, add the mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes
Add back the eggplants and sauté for one minute.
Add the seasonings and cook for a few minutes
Taste and adjust the seasoning
Add the potato starch slurries and mix until thickened (#3)
Add the scallions and serve (#1)

Notes to self:  it was a bit too sweet for me. Next time I should consider reducing the mirin. The chopped simmered pork has almost disappeared. Probably, I should have added more. But overall, this is not too bad.

“Endless” Konnyaku 無限コンニャク

I saw this recipe on Youtube. Many Japanese recipes use the word “Mugen 無限” meaning “endless” in front of the items indicating the dish is so good that you will be eating endlessly or without stopping. This one is “mugen-konnyaku” 無限コンニャク.  I have posted quite a few dishes using Kon-nyaku 蒟蒻 or konjac. I am not sure why Japanese including myself like kon-nyaku. It is made of vegetable roots and has a consistency similar to rubber and does not have any taste or calories. Certainly, this is not one of my wife’s favorites. The only version of konnyaku she sort of likes is “spicy konnyaku stir fry コンニャクのピリカラ炒め” despite the fact she usually does not prefer spicy dishes. I suppose since konnyaku does not have any taste, even a spicy taste is  better than no taste. In any case, this recipe claims that it tastes like “meat” and you can eat it forever or without stopping. Although this may not be true, it is nonetheless  a very interesting dish. Certainly the consistency of the konnyaku is much chewier and the seasoning clings to it better compared to other konnyaku dishes. I added a few sprinkles of seven flavored red pepper flakes or “shichimi tougarashi 七味唐辛子. I think I may have over boiled the konnyaku which made it a bit too chewy. I think this dish has potential and I can make it better next time.

Ingredients:
1 block of konnyaku
1 tbs x4 concentrated Japanese noodle sauce
1 tbs mirin
White sesame
1 small individual package of bonito flakes
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:
Boil the konnyaku in enough water to cover completely for 10 minutes (I may have boiled it longer than 10 which may have made the consistency too chewy*).
Drain and wrap it in a cloth dish towel and pound using a rolling pin (I used a meat pounder) until the konnyaku is all shredded.
Add the oils to a frying pan on medium heat (add the red pepper flakes if you are using them), stir continuously until bubbles form on the surface. Further evaporate the water from the konnyaku for 5 minutes or so (all the moisture boiling away is from the konnyaku since no additional water has been added to the pan.)
Add the mirin and noodle sauce and stir until only small amount of liquid remains.
Add the bonito flakes and stir which absorbs most of the remaining liquid.
Sprinkle the white sesame and serve.

*I made this dish second time and timed the boiling to 10 minutes. This gave a much better consistency. It is chewy but not too chewy. I also used a small amount of red pepper which made the dish not really hot but added flavor.

I do not think this tastes like meat but it is certainly different from any other konnyaku dish I’ve ever eaten having a much chewier consistency and very well seasoned.