Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (干香菇) is made from fresh shiitake mushroom, either by natural drying or smoking. Due to the chemical reactions during the drying process, dried shiitake mushrooms are much aromatic than fresh shiitake mushrooms, but obviously less fresh and fertile. So, dried mushrooms are more popular in braised dishes, soups and stews, as we want to have more flavors released and attached to other ingredients. Fresh shiitake mushrooms are more popular in stir-fries, as they need to be fertile itself. Adding too much dried shiitake mushroom might make the dish slightly bitter. So I find a balance and mix the two types together with this braised chicken.
Braising is a very common cooking method in Chinese cuisine. The ingredients are stewed with a smaller amount of water after browned with ginger, green onion and garlic. Spices are always added in this step to help remove the “raw smell” from the chicken and bring other interesting flavors. Adding noodles to braised dish is a very northern habit like the famous Da Pan Ji. In winter days, one pot dish is quite convenient and well balanced in nutrition. I promise you will get the yummiest noodles in your life with this dish as we have concentrate chicken stock as the soup base.
Cook’s note
- Choose tender chicken. Do not use old hems, they are for soups only.
- Keep the liquid for soaking the shiitake mushrooms, it is rich in flavor. Rinse the mushrooms under running water to remove the sands on surface.Transfer to a pot or bowl and add enough warm water to cover, wait for 2-3 minutes and slightly squeeze the mushrooms to remove the dirt completely.Transfer the mushrooms to a clean bowl and then re-add enough warm water to cover. Soak until the mushrooms becomes soft. Strain and save the liquid.
- You can skip the spices to produce a purer taste or use even more types to yield a more complex taste. For example, for a slightly hotter version, you can add 3-4 dried chili peppers. We do not have strict limitation on that. However do not overuse your spices to avoid any dominating flavors.
- If you do not want to use any noodles in the dish, you can cook off more water in the dish for a stronger taste. If noodles are added, remember to keep some liquid since the noodle absorbs water even after cooked.
- Both vermicelli and fresh noodles can work for this recipe.
Ingredients
- A whole young chicken (around 1000g), cut into one bite sizes
- 6-8 middle size dried shiitake mushrooms, pre-hydrated and then cut into small chunks
- 2 tbsp. cooking oil
- 1 thumb ginger, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 scallions white, cut into small sections
- 1 tbsp. cooking wine
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- Hot water for simmering
- 1 tbsp. rock sugar
- 2 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp. white pepper
- Pre-soaked vermicelli noodles or rice sticks
- 10 fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut into one bite size
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped scallions
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped corianders (optional)
Spices
- 2 star anise
- 1 bay leaves
- 1 dried tangerine Peel
- 1 Amomum Cardamomum pod (砂仁)
- 1 Amomum tsaoko (草果)
Steps
Cut the chicken into small chunks and then cook in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the chicken out and clean with warm water. Drain and set aside.
Heat up 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a claypot or stewing pot, fry garlic, ginger and scallion until aromatic over slow fire. Add chicken chunks in and fry until slightly browned. Add cooking wine and light soy sauce, continue frying for 1 to 2 minutes.Add spices and rock sugar.
Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the chicken is soft enough. Season with salt and white pepper.
Add fresh mushrooms in, cook for 5 minutes and then place the pre-soaked noodles in. Cook for 2 minutes and serve with green onions.
Main Course
Chinese
Braised, chicken, mushroom
-
A whole young chicken
,around 1000g, cut into one bite sizes -
6-8
middle size dried shiitake mushrooms
,pre-hydrated and then cut into small chunks -
2
tbsp.
cooking oil -
1
thumb ginger
,sliced -
3
cloves
garlic
,sliced -
2
scallions white
,cut into small sections -
1
tbsp.
cooking wine -
1
tbsp.
light soy sauce - Hot water for simmering
-
1
tbsp.
rock sugar -
2
tsp.
salt or to taste -
1/4
tsp.
white pepper
-
2
star anise -
1
bay leaves -
1
dried tangerine Peel -
1
Amomum Cardamomum pod
,砂仁 -
1
Amomum tsaoko
,草果
- Pre-soaked vermicelli noodles or rice sticks
-
10
fresh shiitake mushrooms
,cut into one bite size -
1/2
cup
of finely chopped scallions -
1/2
cup
of finely chopped corianders
,optional
-
Cut the chicken into small chunks and then cook in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the chicken out and clean with warm water. Drain and set aside.
-
Heat up 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a claypot or stewing pot, fry garlic, ginger and scallion until aromatic over slow fire. Add chicken chunks in and fry until slightly browned. Add cooking wine and light soy sauce, continue frying for 1 to 2 minutes.Add spices and rock sugar.
-
Pour in enough hot water to cover the chicken chunks and the water level should be at last 3 cm higher if you plan to cook noodles in the dish. Otherwise, use water to cover the chickens.
-
Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the chicken is soft enough. Season with salt and white pepper.
-
Add fresh mushrooms in, cook for 5 minutes and then place the pre-soaked noodles in. Cook for 2 minutes and serve with green onions
Recipe firstly published in 2014 and updated in 2017
Calories from Fat 225
