Garlic Soy Mushrooms

I discovered this simple stir-fry at David Thompson’s Michelin Star rated London restaurant, Nahm, the most sophisticated Thai restaurant kitchen I have ever visited. There they use the large king oyster mushrooms, also found in the USA by the names of eryngii or king trumpet mushrooms. Another key ingredient to this dish is the yellow bean paste and if you haven’t used this yet, you’ll be surprised by the great taste. The readily available Chinese brown bean sauce or Japanese brown miso can be used as a substitute. Originally coriander (cilantro) root, ginger, and garlic were pounded into a rough paste with a mortar and pestle, this is still the best way to bring out the internal essence of the ingredients but a food processor will also work or just mince with a knife.

Serves 4–6
 Preparation time: 5 mins
 Cooking time: 5 mins

½ lb (250 g) oyster mushrooms, (divided use)

2 tablespoons minced coriander stems (cilantro stems) (about ¼ bunch)

1 tablespoon minced ginger

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons yellow bean paste (if beans are large, chop or mash them well)

4 tablespoons oil (divided use)

2-inch (5 cm) ginger, sliced into thin matchsticks

4 green onions (scallions), cut into lengths

2 tablespoons chicken stock or water

¼ teaspoon sugar

Pinch of ground white pepper

Pinch of sea salt or kosher salt

1 Cut off any hard stem ends. Pull apart or cut into bitesized pieces.

2 Grind the coriander stems, ginger, garlic, and bean paste to a paste in a mortar and pestle or mini food processor.

3 Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Swirl 1 tablespoon of the oil in the skillet to coat the entire surface, and keep heating the skillet until very hot and the oil begins to smoke. Toss in half the mushrooms and stir-fry for about 10 seconds until they are semi-cooked and have brown edges. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and repeat the process using another tablespoon of oil and the remaining half of the mushrooms. Reserve with the other mushrooms. Clean out the skillet again.

4 Reheat the skillet over high heat. Coat the skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, then stir in the ground garlic mixture and cook for 10 seconds, then stir in the sliced ginger and green onions, and cook until the onions brighten in color. Add the stock, sugar, and pepper, and bring to a boil, simmer until a thick sauce is created. Toss the mushrooms into the sauce and stir to coat the mushrooms with the sauce for about 30 seconds to reheat. Season to taste with the salt and pepper, and serve immediately.