Sunday dinners were a pretty big thing in the Lau family home. Lunch was already a quite the ordeal for my grandparents who would be making homemade dumplings from scratch – mincing up shrimp, rolling out dumplings wrappers to feed my family, my cousins and aunts and uncles. Dinner was not much simpler. It was often filled with all my favorite dishes – buddha’s delights, steamed fish, braised sweet and sour pork, claypot crab with glass noodles…my mouth is literally watering just thinking about it. My grandparents lived on a small fisherman island on the outskirts of Hong Kong so there is an abundance of fresh seafood at our house every Sunday morning.
One of my favorite dishes is this rather simple steamed chicken with fungus and goji berries. Traditionally we would also add bamboo shoots, but its much harder to find in the US. It would usually be served piping hot from the wok in a metal plate my grandma liked to use to steam with. A whole chicken would be chopped up on our large wooden board and with her massive cleaver. To make things bit simpler we opted for chicken breast as a replacement. Yes, it isn’t quite my grandmother’s recipe, but it is as similar as I can remember. For all I know every time I’ve served this dish, my fiancé, my friends from Hong Kong have absolutely loved it. Maybe its the flavors of home that they too reminisce and long for.
When I first introduced some of my American friends to fungus they literally gave me a strange stare. It looked slimy and strange and anything called “fungus” definitely would not sound appetizing. As a mushrooms hater, chinese black fungus is probably one of my favorite types of mushrooms. It doesn’t have the strange chewy texture of shittake mushrooms and has the ability to soak in all the flavors it is surrounded with. Close your eyes and taste this, and you will be amazed at how delicious these small mushrooms are. Not only are they delicious but they are absolutely nutritious and healthy. In fact, Chinese doctors recommend eating black fungus mushrooms to lower cholesterols – something my dad did for a long period of time every morning for breakfast. Not to mention the health benefits of goji and ginger which are often deemed as superfoods by Western dietitians and nutritionists.
I love love this dish. This is honestly a recipe I would make over and over again. My fiance has repeatedly requested for this. We actually came up with this recipe about 2-3 years ago and have kept it to ourselves, rather selfishly, and also becuase it is so simple. Today, we thought we would finally share this dish with you all. Let us know if you give it a try. I, for one, will definitely be making this again 🙂
- 2 (500g or 1.1 lbs) large skinless, boneless chicken breast
- ⅓ cup dried fungus
- 1 tbsp goji berries, (optional)
- fresh ginger, julienned
- Marinade:
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp GF soy sauce (low sodium)
- ½ tsp honey
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- Soak black fungus mushroom in water. Set aside and wait till it expands.
- Dice chicken (1/2" cubes). Mix in with the marinade and set aside for at least 30-45 mins mins (or overnight).
- Drain the fungus mushrooms. Cut into smaller bite sized pieces and mix into the raw marinated chicken.
- Over the stove: In a non stick pan, add ginger and stirfry till fragrant.
- Add in marinated chicken, mushrooms and cook till chicken is done. Add a little water at a time to prevent sticking if not using oil. Garnish with goji berries!
- "Steam" in oven method: Preheat oven to 350F.
- Take 2 sheets of parchment paper. Lay one sheet on a baking tray and evenly distribute your marinated chicken, mushrooms. Spread out in a single layer.
- Top with ginger and goji berries.Then cover with the second parchment paper, tucking the edges beneath the chicken mixture, using the wait to hold it down.
- Bake for 20 minutes. The sealed chicken will create moisture that will steam the chicken! Serve warm!
LOVE,
Zoe, Mia & Raena
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