Images Grey Oyster Mushroom

The beautiful folds remind me of a Chinese fan. It was hard to resist.....and I was a-l-o-n-e. I admit to picking one up and doing the little fan dance. Shhh..let this be a secret between you and me. Bah! This is the 'internet' I am confiding on.   

Grey Oyster Mushrooms are soft, velvety and cool on the fingers. I love the texture. It is easy to bite into and it has this lovely taste of mild sweet.

Grey Oyster Mushrooms

This mushroom is a versatile ingredient. Be it deep-fried, added into soups, braised or grilled, it tastes just as mmm..mmm..good. Personally, I find the stems a little chewy for soups and braised dishes so I tend to trim it off for later, usually to make stock. It is not always necessary to do this. I just like doing it because I'm biased towards the fluffy part - it is yummy!

It takes only minutes to cook oyster mushrooms. Ideally, add it in only at the last stage of cooking.

Storage: It stays good in a plastic bag for a week or so in the refrigerator. I've never kept it longer. I have however read that you can store it for up to two weeks wrapped in a moist napkin or towel, sealed in a paper bag.

Buying: If it's slimy, don't buy it. Choose plump ones.

Washing: Wash only before use. Swish it in water and that's all there is to it.

Beautiful, isn't it?

Velvety

Here's one way you can enjoy these mushrooms. I had this at a food truck in Johor.

The mushrooms are deep-fried and then sprinkled with a seasoning of salt, sugar and pepper ..at least, that's what I'm guessing is in the powdery substance. Whatever it is, yum stuff!

Deep-Fried Grey Oyster Mushrooms

Images Braised Mushrooms With Snow Peas and Black Fungus

Truth be told - I splash oyster sauce into most of my braised soy sauce dishes because I 'believe' it compliments the overall taste.

It's also a quick and easy way to add robust flavour into a simple dish of vegetables. A dash here and there into a hot wok of greens and it's ready to be served in minutes!

Below is a recipe for a simple dish I made the other day using mostly gooey sweetish oyster sauce.

Braised Mushrooms With Snow Peas and Black Fungus

Ingredients:

- 10 pcs dried Chinese mushrooms
(Soak in water for 1-2 hours until rehydrated, then remove stem. Rinse and change water once in between.)

- 10-15 pcs dried black fungus
(Small, soft variety - soak in water for 30mins until soft and spongy. Cut away hard parts. Rinse and soak in fresh water until ready to cook.)

- 20 pcs snow peas

- 1 clove garlic (chopped)

- 3 tbsp Oyster sauce

- Pinch of chicken stock granules

- 1 tsp cornflour (dilute in 1 tbsp water)

- 1 tbsp cooking oil

- A handful of fresh coriander for garnishing (roughly chopped)

How-to:

1) Heat oil in pan. Saute garlic until lightly browned.

2) Toss in the wet mushrooms and black fungus. While stirring, season with oyster sauce and chicken stock granules. Coat well with sauce and cook covered for 1-2 minutes. 

3) Add the snow peas in, stir until cooked.

3) Add cornflour into the mix. Give it a quick stir and serve garnished with fresh coriander.

Note: (You can add a bit of water if you want more sauce.

I do not drain away excess water from the mushroom and black fungus before cooking. I usually toss them in wet, dripping with water. This water makes the sauce.)

Braised Mushrooms With Snow Peas and Black Fungus topped with Fresh Coriander

Images Egg and Mushrooms on Toast

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'm no peanut butter and jam girl so making breakfast always requires a little more effort. You wouldn't want to be me if you're always rushing off for work early mornings.

Of course, there's always wonton noodles at that hawker stall round the corner or roti canai from my favourite mamak to save the day. How typically Asian of me!

My ideal b-r-e-a-k-f-a-s-t would be this:

A Toast to Captivating Breakfast

How I did it, roughly...

Ingredients:
- 1 piece of bread
- 1 medium red onion (sliced)
- 4 fresh white button mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 small egg
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp dark sweet soy sauce
- Pinch of table salt and pepper
- Bacon bits (optional)
- Cooking oil

How-to:
1. Heat oil in cooking pan. Add onions and mushrooms. Add oyster sauce and sweet soy sauce (and a little water if too dry). Do a quick stir-fry, making sure all the ingredients are coated with sauce. Remove from pan and leave to cool.

2. Lightly toast bread in a toaster. Then, place it on a baking tray. Arrange cooked onions and mushroom in a circle on the toasted bread making a small wall, leaving space in the middle for the egg. Crack egg onto the middle of the toast.

3. Bake this in a pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes at 180C or less (I would watch the oven).

4. To serve, sprinkle salt and pepper on egg. I added bacon bits because I felt like having some.