Chinese-Style Portobello Mushroom Buns

You know those steamed pork belly buns that seem to be everywhere in New York now, from the Momofuku restaurants to Baohaus to your neighborhood ramen place? The ones that more or less descended from Taiwanese gua bao and Japanese kakuni buns? I can practically live off these perfectly portable and juicy specimens. But in the interest of having normal cholesterol levels, I don’t.

I had some leftover buns from making pork belly buns last week for my cookbook, so I decided to try a vegetarian alternative that won’t leave me in a food coma after a weekday lunch. Portobello mushrooms make excellent burger fillings, so why wouldn’t the meaty mushrooms be equally fine as with Chinese buns? Another bonus over pork belly is that they take about 1/5 the cooking time, just 6 or 7 minutes in the pan. I used a simpler braising liquid than I would normally use for pork belly — rice wine, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce — and topped it off with shredded scallions and peanuts, like I do for Taiwanese-style pork belly buns.

I steamed the buns in the microwave, so the total time, including prep, was about 20 minutes. They make a quick lunch or dinner, but I imagine they would also be impressive little appetizers for a dinner party.

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Chinese-Style Portobello Mushroom Buns

Makes 6 to 8 buns

6 to 8 ounces portabella mushrooms1 package Chinese steamed buns (found in the refrigerator or freezer sections of Asian markets)1 tablespoon vegetable oil3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry2 tablespoons soy sauce1 tablespoon hoisin sauce1/4 cup water1 to 2 scallions, shredded1 handful peanuts, finely choppedClean the portobello mushroom caps with a slightly damp towel. Remove the stems and slice the caps to 3/4 inch thick.Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Sear the mushroom slices for about 1 minute on each side, being careful to no break each slice.Add the rice wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and water. Allow the mushrooms to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened, adding more water if the pan gets too dry in the middle of the cooking. (Though the liquid should be absorbed by the mushrooms or evaporated by the end of the 5 minutes, leaving little or no sauce.)Meanwhile, steam the buns according to the instructions on the package, either in a steamer or in the microwave.Assemble the buns by putting 3 portobello slices in each bun and garnishing with shredded scallions and peanuts. Serve warm.

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More vegetarian Chinese appetizers to try:

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Tagged as: Appetizers, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian

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Chinese-style Roast Chicken

Chinese Roast Chicken pictures (1 of 5)

The holidays season might be over but for those celebrating Lunar New Year, the festive season has just begun. The year of Dragon falls on January 23, 2012 and marks the celebration of Lunar New Year.

Walk down the aisles of Asian grocery stores, especially Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese here in the United States, you’ll see lots of Lunar New Year goodies out on display. This year, I’m going to share a series of delicious Chinese New Year recipes so you’ll be able to prepare a full course Chinese menu with my recipes!

Chicken is a must-eat during Chinese New Year. Whole chicken is especially auspicious and it’s prepared for prayers to the ancestors in traditional Chinese homes. While regular boiled or steamed chicken is a common dish to serve, I’m partial to roast chicken, especially Cantonese BBQ style. My roast chicken is the kind you would get at Chinatown. There are certain techniques and secret ingredients involved to get to the desired taste and texture. I marinated the chicken overnight, and then air dry it for a few hours before roasting. I also created a special concoction for the skin to ensure crispiness. The best part of the roast chicken is the juice seeping out during the roasting process; drizzle the juice on steamed rice while you sink your teeth into the moist and tender pieces of chicken. This Chinese-style roast chicken is simply delicious and imparts the signature “??” (Cantonese BBQ) aroma and flavors. You definitely have to check out my secret Chinese roast chicken recipe.

Lunar New Year celebration lasts for 15 days, so below are more chicken recipes to whet your appetite. Also, don’t forget that I have 80+ Chinese recipes in my cookbook “Easy Chinese Recipes.” Pick up a copy today and celebrate Dragon year with scrumptious and authentic Chinese food. You can also refer to this Chinese recipes index on Rasa Malaysia.

(Click Page 2 for the Chinese-style Roast Chicken Recipe)

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