So we have likely all had it here. They make wonderful dishes with lions mane mushroom and for us vegetarians who actually crave meat it meets the texture criteria. Its the close to chicken nuggest kind of texture.
So for the past 5 years ive tried on and off to cook it. Its cheap to buy, but its expensive in restaraunts. Tried dried, fresh and various styles. It all turns out mushy am terrible…so it ends up in small chunks in soups or sauces.
Any tips? I do soak to get rid of bitterness…no amount of butter or soy sauce covers the rehydrated nastiness of this mushroom. Soak and rinse…then what?
I bet you have eaten it and not even realised it was vegan!
In all seriousness it is friggen amazing. Even for meat eaters!
PS. I am willing to eat anything on that list of yours that isnt tortured. Except snails cause they are dirty as all - - - - and unicorns cause they are clearly endangered.
Vegan food can be delicious. I’ve ate many vegan foods that’s are great. You can make a delicious pesto pasta that’s vegan with pine nuts, olive oil, basil leaves, and some garlic and salt.
Vegan food can also make you very fat lol. They tend to make up for the lack of delicious animal fat with other high fat content food.
I’m no experts at cooking what locals here refer to as monkey’s head, but I’ve certainly eaten plenty of them. This is what I here is the way to cook it so that it tastes more like meat.
Buy fresh lions mane.
Put them in boiling water for a minute then soak them in ice water.
When they are no longer warm, dry them with kitchen towels, let them sit on kitchen towels for a bit.
When they are dry, marinade them in vegetarian oyster sauce for at least 20 minutes.
Dab them with flour or yam flour then pan fry or deep fry them until golden brown.
Serve them with a steak sauce that you prefer.
Ya man for sure! Usually vegan style is just extremist. Great idea as far as conpassion, but taiwanese veganism isnt about compassion towards animals usually. Also not often aimed at healthy food. Buddhist buffets are some of the oiliest foods ive ever eaten.
But ya. Perhaps off topic. Im more aiming specifically at how do taiwanese cook this mushroom to have that firm chicken string type texture. Even meat eaters in taiwan like many vegetarian dishes here. Cause they make them yummy. Im not looming for healthy, just this delicious dish.
Ive tried frying myself lime oyster, but have failed every time
Interesting. The ice step i never tried. I was also pre soaking to get rid of bitterness, maybe thats why i got soggy grossness? Going to try your style tomorrow. Have some fresh mushroom to experiment with
I’ve heard that drying it is an important step. I’ve even heard to squeeze the water out by putting weight on them. I’ve not tried so I can’t be sure if that is necessary.
The best lions mane I’ve had was at this place called Yu Shan Ge. Back in the days when they were still relatively new, they mentioned how it was cooked when asked about it.
My grandma used to make this. She was vegetarian. Unfortunately she past away 2 years ago so I can’t ask her. She was pretty good at making vegetarians food that even I would eat.
I can’t help you with your mushroom quandary but one time I minced rosemary and added it to my scrambled eggs and it made the eggs taste almost exactly like Western-style breakfast sausage. If you eat eggs, it’s worth a try.
So tonight i tried again. To be fai its hot as balls and im hungry, so i soaked the fresh lions mane diced into roughly 5cm cubes. Boiled for 30 mins. Sqeeze, drain, fried as per 3 cup (san bei) atyle and they taste horrid. Im starving so i ate them anyway, but i needed a chase as like a terrible whiskey you drink cause someone treated you…todays coke chase was cheddar cheese. Just eating it raw cause the mushroom was too bitter. Perhaps i have super human brain function now as per stamets. Or at the very least have some nutrition. I feel i need some real whisky now…
