Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry

This chicken and wood ear mushroom stir-fry is one of the most appreciated and sought after dishes in Chinese restaurants and, I can assure you, rightly so. I also had it a few times in restaurants, but I didn't think that the version made at home could be a great deal better than the restaurant one.

By the way, I noticed on different occasions that the wood ear mushrooms bought from the Chinese store are much better than those from the supermarket. They rehydrate properly and a lot faster, while the others remain woody and have a strange texture. Make a small effort and order them online, along with other ingredients because they are well worth it!

Ingredients
Boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 kg
or chicken breast
Dried wood ear mushrooms
50 g
usually sold dry, in a bag
White onion
1 piece
Carrots
1 piece
Red peppers
1 piece
Garlic cloves
3 pieces
Fresh shredded ginger
1 tsp
Vegetable oil
50 ml
peanut, rapeseed or just sunflower
Light soy sauce
7 tbsp
the regular soy sauce found in stores
Corn starch
2 tbsp
Dark soy sauce
1 tbsp
optional, if you have one
Cooking rice wine
1 tbsp
optional
Oyster sauce
2 tbsp
optional
Fish Sauce
1 tbsp
optional
Green onions
1 piece
1-2 stalks, only the (green) stems
Sesame seeds
1 tsp
Step by step
Step 1

Marinate the meat and rehydrate the mushrooms.

Wash the chicken and cut into medium pieces - here you can see a boned thigh cut into 5 pieces.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 1
Step 2

Place all the meat in a bowl, add 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine and 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 2
Step 3

Mix well with a spoon and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, the longer the better, even overnight.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 3
Step 4

I recommend using this kind of wood ear mushrooms. They are sold dry in a bag in Chinese online stores or in Colentina.

I also bought some from the supermarket. The bags they were packed in were more beautiful, but the mushrooms were pathetic - they didn't hydrate properly and still remained woody.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 4
Step 5

Put a handful of mushrooms, about 50g, in a bowl and pour over plenty of cold water.

Don't think they are just a few, they will increase in volume a lot after hydrating.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 5
Step 6

This is what they will look like after about 30-50 minutes.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 6
Step 7

We prepare the rest of the ingredients.

While the meat is marinating and the mushrooms are soaking, we prepare all the vegetables - first, wash and peel.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 7
Step 8

In a bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in 3-4 tablespoons of water.

You'll notice that the cornstarch will sink to the bottom, mix again before using it.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 8
Step 9

In a different small bowl, combine 5 tablespoons of soy sauce with 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce.

In the worst case scenario, use only soy sauce.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 9
Step 10

Rinse the soaked mushrooms under running water, then drain in a sieve.

Check and remove any hard parts, I really don't like to feel them in my food ...

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 10
Step 11

Cut the onion, pepper and carrot into thin sticks.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 11
Step 12

Chop the garlic. As for the fresh ginger, I prefer to use the fine grater.

It's usually woody and fibrous, grating it seems to me the best way to use in food.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 12
Step 13

Now we actually start the cooking over heat.

Heat well a large deep frying pan, add in the oil and the marinated chicken. Cook over high heat for 10 minutes until browned and cooked through, don't forget to stir periodically.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 13
Step 14

When the meat is ready, add the ginger and garlic, stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 14
Step 15

Now toss the chopped vegetables in, mix and cook for 5 minutes.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 15
Step 16

And the mushrooms, stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 16
Step 17

Pour over the soy-oyster-fish sauce mixture.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 17
Step 18

And the cornstarch dissolved in water - mix everything well, leave over heat for another 1-2 minutes and then turn the heat off.

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 18
Step 19

Serve sprinkled over with some finely chopped green onions and sesame seeds.

Serve it as such or, even better, with your favorite boiled rice. It's extremely good and there is no comparison between the homemade version and what you can find on the market.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-Fry - Step 19
Quantity: 1500 g (4-5 servings)
Prep time:
30 min
Difficulty: easy
Ready in: 60 min