Mushrooms and Hair Vegetable

Vegetables, also Vegetarian Foods

Mushrooms and Hair Vegetable
Ingredients:
10 medium-size dried Chinese black mushrooms, stems removed and discarded
2 Tablespoons Chinese rice wine such as shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can straw mushrooms, drained
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup button mushrooms
1 large leaf fresh lettuce
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce or an imitation oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon cornstarch mixed with two teaspoons cold water
1 teaspoon rendered chicken fat or a solid shortening
1 ounce hair vegetable (fa cai)
1/4 cup enoki mushrooms, cut just above where they attach to each other, and blanched for half minute in boiling water
Preparation:
1. Put black mushrooms, rice wine, salt, and sugar in a small bowl and steam over boiling water for half an hour.
2. Heat wok or fry pan, add oil, then the straw mushrooms, stock, and the button mushrooms and stir-fry for fifteen minutes, then add the cornstarch mixture, and stir-fry until thickened. Then drain and reserve that liquid before mixing with oyster sauce and chicken fat. Drain once again, just leaving enough to coat the mushrooms. Set them on the lettuce leaf on a platter.
3. Rinse and drain the hair vegetable, simmer for two minutes in the reserved liquid, put this over the mushrooms, and top with the enoki mushrooms, then serve.

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