We make a lot of stir-fried dinners. Tofu, pork, chicken, beef, seafood, and myriad veggies are all possibilities. And the sauce ingredients… soy sauce, oyster sauce, kecap manis, mirin, xiaoxing wine, sake, sesame oil, chile oil, spicy chile crisp, black vinegar, fish sauce. So many flavor options; we tend just to throw together a selection from these willy-nilly, combining whatever sounds good at the moment. The flavors of the main ingredients – vegetables, protein, starch – disappear under this onslaught of seasonings.
It occurred to me recently that, while our stir fries might vaguely resemble an Asian cuisine, surely they are far from authentic. If I’m picky about authenticity when it comes to Italian or French cuisine, shouldn’t I reach for authenticity when cooking Asian dishes?
When I starting to look through authentic Chinese cookbooks, as well as online sources, I noted my first error: I combine too many ingredients and flavors. Most Chinese dishes I found are very simple, and don’t use every ingredient in the pantry; they allow each main ingredient to shine. Cleaning out the refrigerator and tossing everything into a wok doesn’t make it Asian. Mixing multiple sauces from multiple cultures isn’t “fusion,” it’s just a big mess.
I was completely guilty of doing just this. Sure it tasted fine to us, but I was now craving the real thing. Today I am sharing a traditional Oyster Mushroom Stir Fry that I got from China Sichuan Food. I adhered to Elaine’s recipe with just a few editorial changes. The simple preparation of this recipe is what makes it so good. Well, that and the amazing locally-grown mushrooms from Desert Pearl Mushrooms!
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Gerlinde de Broekert
June 12, 2021 at 7:33 amI often look at oyster mushrooms and never know what to do with them. Thank you for this delicious looking recipe David and have a wonderful week.
David Scott Allen
June 18, 2021 at 5:18 pmI love them, Gerlinde — they are not only tasty, they are beautiful!
Jeff the Chef
June 12, 2021 at 7:37 amThis looks so good. But of course, you make everything look so good! Still, I am a big fan of mushrooms. I’m a bit torn, thinking that you should trust your instincts and love what tastes good to you. But I totally see your point: some of the best recipes are the simplest ones.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 18, 2021 at 5:22 pmI think there is a lot we can learn from original and authentic recipes… changing them is good, sometimes, but more often than not, I’m blown away with the tried and true versions.
John / Kitchen Riffs
June 12, 2021 at 7:40 amAll of your pictures are good, but the mushroom pictures — particularly the first one — are gorgeous. I’m pretty much in the willy-nilly camp, too, when it comes to Asian cooking. So while what I concoct often tastes pretty good, it’s certainly not authentic. My main problem is I don’t really have a “feel” for Asian cooking, the way I do for French or Italian (more accurately Italian-American). My favorite cookbook author for Asian is Fuchsia Dunlop — she is SO good. Grace Young is wonderful too. Anyway, speaking of wonderful, this is such a lovely dish. Loads of flavor from the mushrooms, with a nice cast of understudies. Good stuff — thanks.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 18, 2021 at 5:24 pmJohn — I’m the same way… I know what to do fir French, Italian, Spanish, and even Moroccan… which is why I wanted to learn more. Truly eye opening. Thanks for your kind comment about the mushroom photo… they are, indeed, stunning.
Andrea
June 12, 2021 at 8:34 amDear David, what a gorgeous looking bunch of oyster mushroom. And what a delightful “authentic dish”.
Hope you and Mark are doing well, my friend!
Liebe Gruesse aus Bonn!
Andrea
Cocoa & Lavender
June 18, 2021 at 5:25 pmThanks, dear Andrea! Lucky to have such gorgeous mushrooms to play with.
Easyfoodsmith
June 12, 2021 at 8:58 amMy family loves mushrooms although we often have shiitake and button ones but I am sure we will enjoy even the oyster one. The stir fry sounds very tempting!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 18, 2021 at 5:26 pmWell, shiitakes are a favorite of mine, too, Stay tuned for a really great gratin in the fall!
Eha Carr
June 12, 2021 at 5:14 pmLiving in Australia I have cooked SE Asian food, largely in the form of stirfries, for nearly half a century. I fully agree with every word you have said. Since the big majority of our on-line chefs and food bloggers themselves stem from there Asian cookery and teaching here have a pretty authentic basis. That said I am not against fusion dishes as long as they are not given classic Asian names . . . that does annoy ! Your dish is hugely moreish – I love oyster mushrooms and make a stirfry very similar. In the winter months we can buy boxes of seeded compost or pieces of tree trunk with the spores embedded and literally pick and cook within the minute. Am off to China Sichuan Food with great interest . . . thanks
Cocoa & Lavender
June 18, 2021 at 5:27 pmHope you enjoyed China Sichuan Food — I have made several things and all have been wonderful. Experimenting and fusion are great — just (as you say) give them a new name.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
June 13, 2021 at 5:31 amThat first photo of the oyster mushrooms is like a work of art. The taste has to be quite good as well.
Cocoa & Lavender
June 18, 2021 at 5:28 pmThe taste is wonderful, Karen — thanks for your kind words!
Chef Mimi
June 13, 2021 at 9:20 amGorgeous. And very interesting. When my Chinese-French mother made stir fries, they were definitely simple. It was as if the sauce was more important than the ingredients, but of course each ingredient had to be marinated and cooked properly, or steamed properly. I found them fascinating. I’ve never used fresh oyster mushrooms because I’ve never seen where I live. The stir fry is truly gorgeous!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 18, 2021 at 5:29 pmThere is so much precision in Chinese cuisine… truly an art, Mimi. I bet your mother would be so proud of all you do!
sherry
June 13, 2021 at 10:16 pmyour mushroom photo is gorgeous david. they look heavenly. i know what you mean about keeping tastes simple. i remember when our French BIL came over to stay one time, he made much of how we Aussies messed up our food with too many flavours and ingredients. Huh!! the cheek of him!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 18, 2021 at 6:12 pmI love your BIL! He would have a field day with what I do!
Raymund
June 15, 2021 at 3:35 pmMushrooms for the win! I love those oyster mushrooms but never did something similar to your recipe, I tried them though on a spring roll and they work wonders
Cocoa & Lavender
June 18, 2021 at 6:13 pmAte oyster mushrooms used much in Filipino cuisine, Raymund? They are sooooo good!
Fran @ G'day Souffle
June 16, 2021 at 10:17 amWow, those mushrooms (especially the ‘orangey’ ones) look fantastic! Would be worth me driving over to Tucson just to buy those mushrooms! Sometimes it’s difficult to determine exactly what is ‘authentic’ in food. People will bicker about what should or should not be included in a dish- as long as it tastes good- that’s the main thing!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 18, 2021 at 6:14 pmSo true, Fran, but I also think we need to rename things that go way beyond the original… like Spaghetti Carbonara that has tomatoes… or cream. Just rename it!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
June 16, 2021 at 7:39 pmThese mushrooms are so beautiful! If you’re going to cut down on ingredients a mushroom dish is a great place to start!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 19, 2021 at 11:37 amI agree, Inger! Mushrooms work so beautifully by themselves.
Marcelle
June 17, 2021 at 6:10 pmYou always post the most amazing dishes featuring mushrooms, David. Your love for them as an ingredient really shines through in your recipes! I wonder if I can find oyster mushrooms at my store because this looks amazing and doable 😊 I don’t have a wok so I will have to bust out the big skillet for this one, can’t wait to try it!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 19, 2021 at 11:37 amI hope you can find oyster mushrooms, Marcelle. This is really very tasty, and really so simple…
Valentina
June 18, 2021 at 12:55 pmThese are definitely some of the prettiest Oyster mushrooms I’ve seen. That coral color is stunning! Such a delicious sounding recipe, David! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
June 19, 2021 at 11:38 amThe place right by the mushrooms in our farmers market has so many incredible varieties of mushrooms, many of them oyster varieties. It’s fun to play with them… Especially with the camera!
John
July 7, 2021 at 2:57 amNow this is a dish I know I would love. Mushrooms and the flavours of China’s Sichuan Province, my favourite region in China. Have you ever come across Sichuan pepper oil, David? It truly is a remarkable ingredient. I learned of it when I was in China a couple of years ago, cooking with my friend. It’s so incredibly aromatic and potent and adds such magic to dishes. I need to buy myself some mushrooms!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 10, 2021 at 10:07 amI will definitely look for the Sichuan pepper oil next time I am at the Asian market. I have had Dan Dan Noodles and felt the weird numbness… the flavor was amazing.