Delicious Stir-Fried Oyster Mushrooms with a Chewy Texture
Oyster Mushroom Stir-Fry: Simple and Flavorful
We’ve found a special way to prepare oyster mushrooms by lightly salting them before stir-frying to remove excess water, enhancing their wonderfully chewy texture.
Main Ingredients
- 250g Oyster mushrooms
- A small piece of carrot, julienned (for color)
- 1/4 Onion, julienned
- 1/4 Bell pepper (or 1 green chili pepper), julienned
- 1/2 Scallion
Seasoning for Pre-treatment
- 1/3 Tbsp Salt
- 1/3 Tbsp Salt
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, clean the oyster mushrooms by removing any dirt from the base. Tear them by hand into bite-sized pieces. Tearing them into larger pieces will give you a better chewy texture, so avoid making them too small.
Step 2
Rinse the prepared oyster mushrooms lightly under running water using a colander. Avoid soaking them for too long, as this can diminish their flavor. A quick rinse is the key.
Step 3
Add 1/3 Tbsp of salt to the rinsed oyster mushrooms and gently mix them. Let them sit for about 10 minutes to soften and release their moisture. Crucially, do not rinse the mushrooms after salting. Squeeze out as much water as possible by hand to prevent the stir-fry from becoming watery and to achieve a chewy texture.
Step 4
Julienne the carrot into thin strips, about 0.2cm thick. This adds a lovely splash of color and textural contrast.
Step 5
Julienne 1/4 of an onion. The sweetness from the onion will enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
Step 6
Julienne 1/4 of a bell pepper after removing the seeds. If you don’t have bell peppers, you can substitute with one green chili pepper. The fresh aroma of bell peppers complements oyster mushrooms beautifully.
Step 7
Julienne the white parts of the scallion into lengths of about 4-5cm. It’s best to use only the tender inner parts, as the tougher outer parts can sometimes have a bitter taste. For a neater presentation, fold the scallion in half before julienning.
Step 8
Heat 1 Tbsp of cooking oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and julienned scallions, and stir-fry until fragrant. This step infuses the oil with the aromatic flavors of garlic and scallion.
Step 9
Once the garlic and scallion are fragrant, add the squeezed oyster mushrooms to the pan. Increase the heat to high and stir-fry until the mushrooms’ moisture has evaporated. Stir-frying over high heat helps achieve a chewy texture without overcooking them until tough.
Step 10
When the oyster mushrooms have released and dried out most of their liquid, add the julienned carrots, onions, and bell peppers. Stir-fry briefly until the vegetables are slightly tender-crisp. We want to maintain their fresh, crisp texture.
Step 11
Add 1/2 Tbsp of oyster sauce and quickly stir-fry to combine all the ingredients. Oyster sauce will provide seasoning and a delicious umami flavor.
Step 12
Once the vegetables are tender and the sauce is evenly distributed, sprinkle in a pinch of black pepper. Just before turning off the heat, drizzle in 1/2 Tbsp of sesame oil for a nutty aroma.
Step 13
Finally, sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp of toasted sesame seeds over the top to finish. The crunchy texture and nutty flavor of the sesame seeds add the perfect finishing touch to this delicious oyster mushroom stir-fry.
Step 14
Your chewy and flavorful oyster mushroom stir-fry is complete! Serve it over warm rice or enjoy it as a delicious side dish.
