Not all mushrooms have to be sautéed in a flash. They are just as delicious when braised, especially when you simmer them the Chinese way as we do here.
This technique, known as “red cooking,” is widely practiced in China, often with pork. By the way, I have a delicious red-cooked pork recipe.
In short, you simmer the food in soy sauce with aromatics such as ginger, garlic, or shallots until it is tender and slightly reddish – mushrooms, in this case.
Not every mushroom is suited to braising, but fortunately the everyday button mushroom works well. Cremini, portobello, shiitake, hen of the woods, porcini and other boletes, large chanterelles, matsutake, and so on are also excellent choices.
If your mushrooms are very large, like portobellos or porcini, cut them into “chopstick-sized” pieces
If you would like to enrich your braised mushrooms with meat, stir a little finely minced meat into the pan when you add the mushrooms; ground beef, pork, or duck all work well.
This recipe comes from Linh; her video is included in the recipe. It is a quicker take on braising – normally it can take more than 35 minutes, but here you get the result much faster!
Soy-Braised Mushrooms
Equipment
- 1 Wok
Ingredients
- 250 g white button mushrooms
- 100 g shiitake mushrooms
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 small handful chives chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish
Sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 3 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the sauce well.
- Heat a pan with a little oil, add the shallot and sauté until it becomes translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
- Add the sauce and cook over medium heat (about 10 minutes) until it reduces.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and chopped chives.
Video
Notes
Sriracha adds a nice spicy note, but you don’t have to use it.
These soy-braised mushrooms were a total hit at dinner, and my husband couldn’t stop talking about the glossy sauce and how meaty they tasted. He actually asked if I could make them again next week 🙂
These soy-braised mushrooms have become my go-to side dish for cozy fall dinners, and the red-cooking style sauce is so flavorful and quick that I make it for holiday gatherings too. The mix of button and shiitake with sesame and chives is a winner every time 🙂
Made these soy-braised mushrooms about 4 times now, and they come out perfectly glossy and savory every time. The quick reduction with hoisin and soy is so satisfying, definitely staying in the regular rotation 🙂
Made these soy-braised mushrooms last night and the kids couldn’t get enough; they cleaned their plates and asked for seconds 😊