Shandong — a modern development that applies Lu cuisine's braising techniques to the increasingly popular king oyster mushroom
Thick abalone mushrooms (king oyster mushrooms) braised in Shandong master braise with soy, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and superior stock until dark and gelatinous. A vegetarian analogue to the abalone dishes of Lu cuisine — the mushroom's meaty texture, neutral flavour, and ability to absorb the braising liquid make it ideal. A modern development building on Shandong's cong shao (spring onion braising) tradition.
Meaty, deeply savoury, spring-onion fragrant, glossy — an elegant vegetarian expression of Lu cuisine braising
{"Slice thickly — 2cm rounds absorb the braise without disintegrating","Pre-sear the mushroom rounds on both sides until golden before braising","Braising liquid reduced to a thick, coating consistency before the mushroom is added back","Spring onion (cong) is the essential aromatic — Shandong's signature"}
{"The cross-hatch scoring on the top face of each round allows the braise to penetrate more deeply","A small amount of rice wine vinegar added at the end brightens the dish","Serve over a bed of braised Chinese cabbage — the same technique Shandong uses for the seafood version"}
{"Thin slicing — mushroom disintegrates in the braise","Skipping the searing step — mushroom doesn't develop depth of colour or flavour","Watery braising liquid — must be reduced to a glaze consistency"}
Land of Fish and Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop