cooking mushrooms and rapeseed

How to Cook Braised Shiitake Mushrooms with Bok Choy

Braised shiitake mushrooms with bok choy is a nutritious and delicious Chinese dish, loved for its umami flavor and vibrant colors. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to making it at home.

### Ingredients

- 8-10 dried shiitake mushrooms (or 200g fresh), soaked until soft

- 4-5 bok choy (baby bok choy works best), washed and halved

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tsp oyster sauce

- ½ tsp sugar

- 1 cup vegetable broth

- 1 tbsp cooking oil

- Salt to taste

- Sesame oil (optional, for garnish)

### Steps

1. Prepare the mushrooms: Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes until soft. Remove stems, slice caps, and reserve the soaking liquid (strained). For fresh mushrooms, clean and slice them.

2. Blanch bok choy: Boil water in a pot, add bok choy, and blanch for 1 minute until tender. Drain and arrange on a serving plate.

3. Sauté mushrooms: Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic until fragrant, then add mushroom slices. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

4. Simmer: Pour in the reserved mushroom soaking liquid (or vegetable broth), soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until mushrooms absorb the flavors.

5. Season and serve: Adjust salt to taste. Spoon the mushrooms and sauce over the blanched bok choy. Drizzle with sesame oil if desired.

### Tips

- For extra richness, add a pinch of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

- Use fresh shiitake mushrooms for a firmer texture; dried ones offer a deeper umami taste.

This dish pairs perfectly with steamed rice and takes just 15 minutes to prepare, making it a healthy weeknight meal!