Equipment
Ingredients
Mushroom Poaching
- 500 g King Oyster mushrooms, cleaned, bottoms trimmed
- 15 g ginger, sliced
- 2 stalks scallions, smashed
- 30 ml shaoxing wine
- 1200 ml water
Szechuan Dressing
- 60 ml szechuan chili oil
- 45 ml light soy sauce
- 30 ml chinkiang black vinegar
- 10 g sugar
- 10 g garlic, finely minced
- 10 ml toasted sesame oil
- 3 g szechuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
- 30 ml reserved mushroom poaching liquid
Garnish
- 30 g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 10 g cilantro, chopped
- 5 g toasted sesame seeds
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 245 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 665 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 649 mg
- Calcium
- 35 mg
- Iron
- 2.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 40 mg
- Phosphorus
- 186 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 15 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 24 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.18 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.47 mg
- Niacin
- 6.6 mg
- Folate
- 57 mcg
- Water
- 133 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a medium pot, combine water, ginger, scallions, and Shaoxing wine. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the King Oyster mushrooms to the boiling water. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10-12 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Turn off heat and let them sit in the liquid for another 5 minutes.
Remove mushrooms from the pot and plunge into an ice bath for 5 minutes. Reserve 30ml of the poaching liquid for the sauce. Pat mushrooms dry with paper towels.
Whisk together chili oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, minced garlic, sesame oil, ground Szechuan peppercorns, and the reserved warm poaching liquid.
Slice the cooled mushrooms lengthwise or crosswise into bite-sized pieces (about 1cm thick). Arrange them overlapping on a serving platter.
Drizzle the dressing over the mushrooms. Garnish with chopped peanuts, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature.
Chef's Notes
- King Oyster mushrooms provide a remarkably similar texture to poached chicken—they are bouncy yet tender.
- If you cannot find King Oyster mushrooms, you can use thick slices of steamed extra-firm silken tofu.
- Double-check that your Szechuan chili oil doesn't contain dried shrimp, which is occasionally added to commercial brands.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store dressing separately for best mushroom texture
Reheating: Serve cold or at room temperature
Cultural Context
This is a plant-based adaptation of Kou Shui Ji. While chicken is the most famous protein for this sauce, mushrooms and tofu are commonly used in Buddhist temple cuisine throughout Sichuan province to achieve similar flavor profiles without meat.
