Chinese cuisine, rich in a variety of flavors and exotic ingredients, hides many treasures that we can also discover in Western kitchens. One of these discoveries is black mushroom salad, a traditional Chinese dish made from mushrooms, also known as Judas’s ear, cloud mushroom or wood mushroom. It is their characteristic shape, reminiscent of a human ear, that gave these mushrooms these interesting names.
Black mushroom salad has deep roots in the history of Chinese cuisine. Black mushrooms, which are the main ingredient of this dish, were already considered medicinal in traditional Chinese medicine. Over time, these mushrooms have become a key element in many dishes, including this salad, which has evolved from its original medicinal purposes to a delicious taste experience.
Preparation
Although it may seem that preparing a black mushroom salad requires mastery of Chinese cooking, it is not as difficult as it might seem.
Mushrooms
They absorb spices perfectly and their irregular shape helps the sauce to “stick” to them effectively. They should retain their elasticity after cooking and should not be too soft or mushy or slimy. The mushrooms are first soaked in water to swell. They are then briefly poached and, if necessary, the tough stalks are removed and, if they are large, they are also chopped.
You can speed up the rehydration of the mushrooms by soaking them in warm or hot water, but the hotter the water, the more unevenly the mushroom rehydrates. Soaking mushrooms in water that is too hot or cooking in water for too long will make the mushroom harder. It may not be very noticeable with coarser, lower quality mushrooms, but premium black mushrooms are popular for their fine texture. It is thus better to wait for the mushrooms to rehydrate naturally than to try to speed up the process with hot water.
Tip: A little white vinegar added to the soaking water will make the mushrooms crispier!
Sauce
Making the sauce involves a special method called You Po (油泋), which means “pouring hot oil”. This will reduce the harsh taste of raw aromatics (garlic, spring onion, etc.) and fully release the flavor of the spices.
Put minced garlic, chili flakes and ground Szechuan pepper in a heatproof bowl . Heat some oil and then pour into a bowl. Add soy sauce , rice vinegar and a little sugar. Mix well. If you have them available, pickled chili peppers are a great addition. If you don’t have pickled chilies on hand, use chopped red or green peppers.
A combination of flavors
The mushrooms are mixed with the prepared sauce. It is important that all ingredients are thoroughly mixed to achieve maximum flavor. Place the prepared mushrooms, thinly sliced red onion and fresh chili pepper in a large bowl. Pour the sauce and mix well. Add some cilantro on top for garnish and for extra flavor. You can enjoy the dish right away. Or for a better taste, let it cool for a while in the fridge (the mushrooms will absorb more of the filling over time).
Serve
Black mushroom salad is served cold as a refreshing appetizer or part of dim sum.
Attractions
Black mushrooms are known for their high content of iron, fiber and vitamins. This dish is not only delicious but also beneficial for your health.
Like many traditional Chinese dishes, there are many regional variations of black mushroom salad. Some include additional ingredients such as peanuts, radishes, cucumbers or other vegetables to add another dimension of flavor.
Boiled black mushrooms must be eaten the same day they were prepared. It may not look like it, but they will start to spoil depending on the temperature within 24 hours. So prepare only as much as you will use!
Salát z černých hub (Liangban Mu’er 凉拌木耳)
Ingredients
- 50g sušených černých hub asi ⅓ šálku
- 3 stroužky česneku nasekaného
- 1 lžička chilli vloček
- 1½ lžičky mletého sečuánského pepře
- 2 lžíce oleje na vaření
- 1 lžíce sójové omáčky
- 2 lžičky rýžového octa černý nebo čirý
- 1 lžička cukru
- 1 ks červená chilli paprička nakrájená na tenké plátky
- ½ červené cibule nakrájené na tenké plátky
- koriandr
Instructions
Houby
- Ve velké misce namočte sušené černé houby na 1-2 hodiny do studené vody, dokud nebudou plně rehydratované
- Propláchněte pod tekoucí vodou, pokud houby mají, odřízněte tuhé stonky. Velké kusy hub natrhejte na kousky velikosti sousta.
- Přiveďte hrnec s vodou k plnému varu. Blanšírujte houby 1-2 minuty (podle tloušťky hub).
- Opláchněte studenou vodou, aby vychladly a poté dobře sceďte.
Omáčka
- Do žáruvzdorné misky dejte nasekaný česnek, chilli vločky a mletý sečuánský pepř. Zahřejte olej, dokud nebude kouřit, poté nalijte na česnek a koření.
- Přidejte sójovou omáčku, rýžový ocet a cukr. Dobře promíchejte.
- Ve velké misce smíchejte houby, chilli papričku, cibuli a omáčku, dokud se dobře nespojí. Přidejte koriandr.
- Na salátu si můžete pochutnat ihned, nebo pro jeho ještě lepší chuť ho dejte na chvíli do lednice vychladit.
