DOUBLE WINTER DELIGHTS (蠔油炒雙冬)

DOUBLE WINTER DELIGHTS (蠔油炒雙冬) image

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 head of fresh winter bamboo shoots, approximately 1 pound
8 fresh large dong gu (or shiitake) mushrooms
8 baby Shanghai bok choy sliced in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
A dash of white pepper
1 teaspoon light soy sauce (生抽)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce)
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (紹興酒)
3/4 cup clear stock or water
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry

Steps:

Remove the outer leaves from the shoot till the heart is exposed. Cut the shoot lengthwise into halves. Then slice crosswise into slices about an eighth of an inch thick. Set aside. Remove the stem of the mushrooms by cutting it off from the cap. Set aside. In a wok heat the vegetable oil until just at the smoking stage. Add the garlic and brown for about half a minute. Put in the bamboo shoots and the mushrooms and continue to stir-fry for about another minute. Be sure to stir constantly to prevent from burning. Then add white pepper, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine and clear stock. Cover the wok and turn the heat down to simmer for about 5 minutes.In the mean time blanch the bok choy in boiling water for about two minutes. Drain and arrange in a circle on a round shallow plate. An alternative method to blanching is to cook the bok choy in the microwave. Arrange the bok choy on the plate and cover with plastic wrap. Then cook in the microwave at high setting for two minutes. Now uncover the wok with the bamboo shoots and mushrooms, and thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry. You can adjust the cornstarch to the thickness of your liking. Scoop the bamboo shoot and mushrooms over the bok choy and arrange decoratively. Serve immediately. If you're unable to obtain fresh winter bamboo shoot and dong gu mushrooms you can substitute with canned bamboo shoot and dried shiitake mushrooms. You will still be able to enjoy a very satisfying dish, even though you will not be able to sample the extraordinary taste of these fresh ingredients. The green vegetable can be replaced with regular bok choy or iceberg lettuce.