Black Fungus
Black fungus, also called cloud ear mushrooms, make an exceptional addition to a stir-fry and fragrant soup or can be served on their own as a starter. Their shape turn them into the perfect vessel to hold on to the lip-smacking spicy, garlicky and tangy dressing with black vinegar, soy sauce and plenty of coriander.
Ingredients
- 25 g dried black fungus/cloud ear mushrooms
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 red chilli
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 20 g coriander
Instructions
- In a large bowl, soak the mushrooms for 2 hours in plenty of cold water (at least 1l of water for 25g mushrooms).
- Drain and rinse the soaked mushrooms to remove any dirt, then cut off the woody stems if necessary (if they feel soft, I usually don’t do this). Bring a pan of plain water to a boil and cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Then drain well and rinse under cold water to stop them from cooking further. Now either dry them in a salad spinner or by patting them with a towel. Set aside.
- For the dressing, finely crush the garlic and thinly slice the chilli. Add both to a bowl and mix together with the black vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Roughly chop the coriander and add it together with the dressing to the mushrooms. Mix well to coat evenly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. If the mushrooms weren’t drained well enough, the dressing might have watered down after then. Toss the mushrooms and taste one, adjusting the seasoning with soy sauce and black vinegar if necessary. Then serve straightaway.