Thanksgiving dinner was less than 24 hours ago and, rather than eat the leftovers, I’m thinking of something new… and bright… and light. I love celebrating Thanksgiving Day, and I’m really thankful for all I have, but could we please have a piece of salmon? Perhaps some lightly sautéed veggies?
In the spirit of lightness, I offer you a recipe for a stunningly-beautiful authentic Chinese preparation for shiitake mushrooms with bok choy. I am embarrassed (brave?) to admit that I chose this dish solely because it’s beautiful. Pretty shallow, eh? But then it turned out to be incredibly flavorful, and is made using only a few key ingredients.
In a traditional Chinese banquet, this type of dish shows up towards the end of the meal, maybe the ninth or tenth dish brought to the table. The arrival of the vegetables is also the signal to the guests that it is the end of the meal. If there will be a dessert, it comes next.
At our international grocery store the other day, I found a bag filled with baby bok choy. They were ridiculously cute. I brought them home with no plan, other than perhaps to sauté them. But I looked in the cupboard and found several bags of dried shiitake mushrooms… This led to a recipe search and the rest is history, and a wonderful meal!
Obviously, this is one dish to present at the table; you definitely want your guests to see it in all its beauty. The bright green wreath of bok choy cradling the glazed shiitake mushrooms is like a work of art. While this might be part of a Chinese banquet offering, we simply had this dish accompanied by rice.
The recipe is an adaptation from several versions I found online. You might be tempted to double the sauce but, if you do, it won’t glaze properly. And don’t overcook the bok choy — its crunchiness is really a lovely contrast to the meaty mushrooms.
~ David
Glazed Shiitake Mushrooms and Bok Choy
Click icon below to print the recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms
- 10 baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
- cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
- Place the dried shiitakes in a medium bowl, and pour 3 cups of boiling water over them. Place a plate over the mushrooms to keep them submerged. Let them soak for 30 minutes.
- Wash the bok choy in a large bowl of cold water, agitating it well to remove any sand or grit. Carefully remove the bok choy leaving the grit to sink to the bottom. Rewash if necessary.
- Drain and transfer shiitakes to a plate, reserving the soaking liquid and squeezing out the excess water from the mushrooms into the reserved liquid. Set aside the mushrooms and soaking liquid.
- Bring 6 cups of water, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil. Blanch the bok choy for 40 seconds, stirring to keep them submerged. Do this in batches. The bok choy should be bright green. Remove bok choy from the boiling water and transfer to a bowl of cold water, then remove bok choy immediately from the cold water and drain.
- Arrange the bok choy in a circle on a large serving platter (14-inch), with the leafy ends facing inward.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add vegetable oil; when hot, add the shallot and mushrooms, and stir fry for 10 seconds. Stir in the Shaoxing wine. Slowly add the mushroom soaking liquid through a fine mesh strainer (to keep sediment from the dish). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and add the dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and white pepper. Stir until combined, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Mix the cornstarch slurry and pour it into the sauce while stirring. After a minute or two, the sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Transfer the mushrooms and sauce to the center the bok choy, drizzle any remaining sauce on the mushrooms, and serve immediately with hot rice on the side.
- Serves 4-6.
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Connie Weis
November 27, 2021 at 5:59 amThe way you arranged the baby bok choy? A work of art David!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:11 amThanks, Connie! It was fun to put together!
Frank Fariello
November 27, 2021 at 8:04 amIt’s a gorgeous and delicious dish, which I’ve actually made at home. And order it often when we eat out at a Cantonese restaurant. It seems you and I are on the same post-Thanksgiving wavelength, David. If you check out my latest post you’ll see why. Not Chinese, but I’m also in light but tasty vegetable mode.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:14 amFrank — your scarola is beautiful (even if you didn’t like the photos!). I’ve tried commenting twice and it hasn’t seemed to work. I will try again from my desktop. I’m glad you have made this dish — I’ve never seen it on menus but that’s I’m not sure we have any Cantonese restaurants here in Tucson.
John / Kitchen Riffs
November 27, 2021 at 8:08 amExcellent food styling. And I like that top photo, a lot. Although the photo of the dried shiitakes is pretty awesome, too. Yes, I AM shallow — I like pretty food! And why not? Although we don’t eat with our eyes, literally, they sure do provide us with some of the pleasure of food. And speaking of food, shall we talk about this dish? Nice and simple, with such clean flavors. truly good stuff — thanks.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:15 amThanks, John — this was definitely a pleasure to photograph! And eat!
Fran @ G'day Souffle
November 27, 2021 at 8:50 amBeautiful photography and almost too pretty to eat! However I love the recipe for the shitakes- will definitely give this a try!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:15 amI always say that nothing is ever too pretty to eat! Thanks Fran.
Ronit Penso Tasty Eats
November 27, 2021 at 10:36 amWhat a beautiful combination! The sauce must be amazing, with all the mushroom liquids. I’ll keep an eye for baby bok choy! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:16 amThanks, Ronit! Bigger bok choy work, but it’s harder to style with them.
Pauline McNee
November 27, 2021 at 1:12 pmBeautiful photography and presentation for this dish, you have an artist’s eye and a chefs cleverness with food. I know this would be delicious with those flavours, we love Asian flavours. I always need something light after Christmas too. Thanks for the inspiration.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:17 amI think that holiday meals always have me looking for lighter food after, Pauline! Thanks for your kind words!
John
November 27, 2021 at 1:45 pmI’m a bit addicted to shiitake at the moment. I adore its meatiness, rich flavour and versatility. Fresh ones are great when you’re lucky enough to come across them, but having dried shiitake in the pantry is so handy. And they’re cheap!
Your arrangement of the shiitake and bok choy is so typically Cantonese. I love it! It’s all about the visuals, makes you gawk in awe before attacking with chopsticks.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:19 amI feel so fortunate, John, that our Asian market has beautiful fresh shiitakes at very reasonable prices! But having dried ones around is great — I think they are the most “successful” dried mushroom — they actually taste like their fresh counterparts!
Eha
November 27, 2021 at 4:33 pmOh David – you have outdone yourself with some of the most beautiful and appetizing photography I have ever seen coming from your stable ! The second photo should be framed !!! I absolutely love both baby bok choi and shiitake mushrooms and use both multiple times every week. Usually in recipes very much resembling yours 1 As all my local supermarkets keep at least 4-5 kinds of Asian mushrooms most of the time I usually buy fresh shiitakes . . . but here methinks the more pronounced flavour in the dry might be preferable . . . well, hope to have friends clapping when I copycat your presentation the next time around . . . thanks !
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:20 amI do wonder if fresh would work as well here, Eha -p only one way to find out… try it! I will, and will keep you posted!
Gerlinde
November 27, 2021 at 7:15 pmBoth, shiitake and bok choy are favorites of mine . It’s a gorgeous looking dish and I’m sure it taste delicious. That’s what I call clean eating. Guten Appetit!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:20 amIt is really clean eating, isn’t it? Glad you like the recipe!
Valentina
November 28, 2021 at 8:44 pmDavid, this is truly stunning! The presentation makes it a show-stopper. Add to that how delicious it is and oh my! Shiitake mushrooms are my favorite mushroom to cook with, and pairing them with those bright bok choy is perfect. I hope you and Mark had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:22 amThanks, Valentina! We had a great day — hope you all did, too. I’m so glad I decided to make this — aside from its beauty, the flavors are amazing.
Ron
November 29, 2021 at 6:30 amDavid, that’s some fine-looking plate art you have there. I’m in agreement with the comments regarding your images, well done. We just had steamed Pak Choy and baby bella mushrooms with steamed shumai shrimp dumplings last night. Next time we steam up dumplings I’ll try your recipe.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:23 amThis would be a great complement to steamed dumplings, Ron. I will need to try that!
Raymund
November 30, 2021 at 2:02 pmOhhh wow! Loving your presentation, I am used to dish dish and prepare them a lot but never had seen a presentation like such. Awesome!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 1, 2021 at 4:23 amThanks, Raymund — while it looks fancy, it’s really easy to put together!
Jeff the Chef
December 3, 2021 at 8:00 amHow beautiful – and really my sort of thing, David: it’s beautiful in and of itself, and doesn’t need a lot of garnishing to make it so. I love shrooms and happen to also love bok choi, so I’m all in on this one. It’d make a spectacular presentation, obviously. Maybe also a good dish to bring to a pot luck?
David Scott Allen
December 6, 2021 at 10:13 amIt would be perfect for a potluck, Jeff. I hadn’t thought of that. I do love it when a dish is really flavorful and is absolutely beautiful when presented. A win-win.
Gloria Roa Baker
December 4, 2021 at 9:03 amLove this David, looks so beautiful!!
David Scott Allen
December 6, 2021 at 10:14 amThanks, Gloria!
sippitysup
December 4, 2021 at 3:14 pmFlavors are similar but way prettier than the typical Chinese stir-fry. GREG
David Scott Allen
December 6, 2021 at 10:15 amMaybe I should think if styling all my stir fries, Greg!
Judee
December 6, 2021 at 6:39 amYour presentation is exceptional and very inviting and the recipe sounds like it would be quite tasty.. Being a vegan, it’s perfect for me.
David Scott Allen
December 6, 2021 at 10:16 amThanks, Judee! It is the perfect vegan dish!
CC
December 6, 2021 at 8:34 pmI only discovered bok choy a few years ago and have been a huge fan ever since! Your presentation here is phenomenal, and I can almost taste both the greens and the mushrooms together! Definitely would be a dish I would love to prepare!
2pots2cook
December 11, 2021 at 9:04 amWow ! Pretty, light, delicious, healthy …. who could ask for more ! 🙂
sherry
December 13, 2021 at 9:53 pmvery artistic david and so good for you!