The Mu-Err mushroom (wood ear fungus) is a dark to light brown mushroom that looks like a small, wrinkled ear. This fungus can be found on deciduous trees and shrubs, especially the elderberry tree. The wood ear grows in Australia, Asia, Europe and Africa and is a popular ingredient in Chinese cuisine. Choose a Mu-Err mushrooms recipe from our suggestions and try it at home!
Mu-Err mushroom salad: Chinese recipe
You don't see this strange looking dish every day. The Mu-Err mushroom salad is literally on every menu in China.
Ingredients for 6 servings:
4 cups rehydrated Mu-Err mushrooms (trimmed and washed)
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1-2 fresh red chili peppers (seeded and chopped, optional)
1½ tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions (and/or cilantro)
Instructions for preparation:
- In a medium saucepan, cook the mushrooms in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water to cool completely. Set aside and let the excess water drain off. You can also use a salad spinner to get rid of the excess water.
- In a large bowl, stir together garlic, paprika, vinegar, light soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil until sugar dissolves.Then add the mushroomsand mix well. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Stir again before serving as the sauce will settle at the bottom. Arrange on a plate and garnish with chopped spring onions and/or coriander.
Soup with pork dumplings and wood ear mushrooms
This quick and easy Mu Err Mushroom Soup recipe makes about 10 delicious pork dumplings served in a fragrant mushroom broth that nourishes the body and soul in equal measure.
Ingredients for 2 servings:
10g Mu-Err mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
800 ml chicken stock
1½ tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1 long red chili, thinly sliced, plus extra for serving
4 spring onions, white part only, sliced (use the green part for the dumplings)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons black vinegar
Salt and white pepper
For the dumplings:
100 g minced pork
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion, green part only
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon black vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
10 gow gee Wrappers
Instructions for preparation:
- Finely chop enough of the mushrooms to make 1 tablespoon and set aside. Cut the rest into small pieces. Mix mushrooms, broth, ginger, chili, spring onions, soy sauce and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and add more soy sauce or vinegar if necessary.
- In the meantime, mix all the ingredients for the dumplings and the reserved mushrooms in a bowl and season to taste. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the middle of each wrap and moisten one edge with water. Fold in the middle and close. Line a steamer with baking paper and steam the dumplings for 5 minutes.
- The soup in bowlsStrain and spread the dumplings on top. Cut the remaining green part of the spring onion into thin slices and sprinkle on top.
Prepare stir fry with mushrooms and pork
This Pork and Mu Err Mushroom Stir Fry is quick and easy to make and perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients for 2-4 servings:
For the pork:
230g pork loin (tenderloin and lean pork are also fine) – excess fat removed and thinly sliced
½ teaspoon chicken powder
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon potato starch
1 tablespoon sesame oil (for blanching in water)
For the sauce:
1.5 tablespoons low sodium light soy sauce
2 Esslöffel Shao Xing-Reiswein
½ tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
For the pork and mushroom stir fry:
6 garlic cloves – thinly sliced
1 piece of ginger – thinly sliced, then coarsely chopped
1 spring onion – chopped, white and green separated
2 red chili peppers – chopped
½ large English cucumber – thinly sliced diagonally
½ cup dried mu-err mushrooms – soaked in a bowl of water for 20 minutes, then drained and rinsed thoroughly
80g water
5-8 dried red chilies, to taste - halved or thirds depending on size
½ teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
2-3 teaspoons white sugar, depending on taste
A pinch of ground white pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch + 60g water (mixed together to make a slurry)
1.5 tablespoons peanut oil
½ tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions for preparation:
- Marinate the pork:Remove excess fat from the pork and cut into thin strips. Mix pork, chicken powder, ground white pepper, cornstarch and potato starch in a large bowl. Stir with chopsticks or a spoon until the pork is evenly coated, then set aside for 10-20 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients to allow the pork to absorb the seasonings.
- Prepare the fresh ingredients:Thinly slice the garlic, roughly chop the ginger and chop the fresh red chillies and spring onion. Separate the white and green parts of the scallions as they will be added to the wok at different times.
- Prepare the sauce:Combine light, low-sodium soy sauce, Shao Xing rice wine, rice vinegar, dark soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir with a spoon until well combined, then set aside.
- Cooking the Mu-Err mushrooms:Soak the mushrooms in a bowl of water for 20 minutes to rehydrate them. Then drain and rinse thoroughly. Cut them into smaller pieces if they are a bit larger. Heat the water in a small saucepan over high heat until it boils. The rehydrated onesAdd mushroomsand let it cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain into a colander and rinse the mushrooms thoroughly again (the water from the pot will be dirty). Set aside.
- Blanch the pork:Rinse the pot in which the Mu Err mushrooms were cooked and refill it with water. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Then add the pork and cook for 20-25 seconds. Turn off the heat and quickly drain the meat into a colander. Set aside.
- Make the cornstarch slurry:Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl or measuring cup (for easier pouring). Stir until a paste forms, then set aside.
For the stir fry:
- In a large wok, heat the peanut oil and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the garlic, ginger and scallions. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Next, add the cucumber slices and stir-fry to separate the slices if they stick together. Then add the 1/3 cup water and cover the wok. Steam briefly for 2-3 minutes so that they become soft. Cover the wok and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the water has almost completely evaporated.
- Add the dried and fresh red chillies and continue to stir-fry for 30-40 seconds until they release their fragrance.
- Add the mushrooms and toss briefly to combine.
- Add pork, sauce, kosher salt, sugar, and white pepper to taste and toss well.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry briefly with a spoon and then add it to the wok. Stir fry for a minute,until the saucehas thickened.
- Add the green onions and stir-fry for 10 seconds, then turn off the heat.
- To serve: Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately with warm steamed rice.
