Chinese Vegetarian Recipes Fried Mock Oyster

CHINESE VEGETARIAN DUCK (素鸭)

Steps:

• Rinse the shiitake mushrooms clean, and soak them in 2 cups of hot water for 2-3 hours, until they are completely rehydrated. Reserve the water they soaked in.
• Julienne the bamboo shoots, carrots, and ginger, and set aside. Once the shitake mushrooms are done soaking, squeeze out any excess water, remove the tough stems, and thinly slice them.
• With your wok over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons oil. Add the ginger, and cook for 20 seconds. Add the carrots, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and bamboo shoots, turn up the heat, and and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
• Stir in the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, and vegetarian oyster sauce. Continue cooking until all the liquid has reduced. Remove from the wok, and let the filling cool.
• Prepare your steamer with enough water for 12 minutes of steaming over high heat, and bring to a boil.
• Lay out one of your sheets of bean curd on a clean work surface. Take your mixture of vegetarian oyster sauce and water, and brush lightly onto one of the sheets. Stack another sheet on top and brush that one too with the oyster sauce mixture.
• Add half of the filling to the lower part of the bean curd circle (about 5 inches/13 cm) from the edge closest to you), arranging it in a roughly 7x3 inch horizontal rectangle. Fold the sheet over the filling tightly. Fold the sides over the middle, and continue rolling tightly until you've formed a rectangular roll. Repeat with another 2 sheets of bean curd skin and the other half of the filling.
• With the opening side down, lay them side by side on a heat proof dish. When the water in your steamer has come to a boil, steam the rolls for 12 minutes over high heat.
• Meanwhile, mix the braising sauce. Combine 1 ¼ cups of the mushroom soaking water, 1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce. Mix until sugar is completely dissolved, and set aside.
• Remove the rolls from the steamer. Heat a clean wok/pan over medium heat. When the wok is heated, add the oil, and swirl it around the perimeter of the wok to coat it evenly.
• Add the rolls, and brown each side, about 1-2 minutes per side. Handle gently when flipping.
• Once both sides are browned, add the sauce mixture. Braise over medium heat, cooking for 2 minutes covered, and then 2-3 minutes uncovered. Flip the rolls, and do the same on the other side. Try not to move them too much. Just slide them around to prevent them from breaking or fall apart.
• Once the sauce has reduced (it should coat the rolls, but they shouldn't be sitting in a pool of sauce), carefully transfer the rolls to a plate, and cool completely.
• Once cooled, slice into ¾ inch thick slices, and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve at room temperature.

CHINESE FRIED MOCK OYSTER

Steps:

• Soak the bean curd sheet to soften. In another bowl soak dried mushrooms in warm water for 25 minutes [or so] Drain the curd. Squeeze the mushrooms. Cut off mushrooms stems and dice. Save the strained soaking liquid to use then steam the mushroom pieces and bean curd for 8 minutes.
• Take each sheet of seaweed and cut into shreds. Combine in a bowl with the steamed mushroom pieces.
• Using a fork mix and mash steamed bean curd in a bowl and add the salt, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, pepper and MSG [if using].
• Now wipe bean curd sheet with damp cloth then trim the edges and cut into 10 pieces.
• Mix the batter ingredients until smooth and lump free. The mushroom water is the soaking liquid.
• Mix together the flour and water mixture until a glue type paste. If you can glue a picture in a book with it? You got it.
• Assemble:
• Lay bean curds so they form diamonds then place about a teaspoon of the mashed bean curd in the middle.
• Add a bit of the seaweed mixture then topping with another teaspoon of bean curd. You want bean curd, seaweed, bean curd.
• Fold the bottom over the filling so that it forms a triangle.
• Fold over the top.
• Brush generously with the glue mixture.
• Fold over the left and right sides, brushing with more of the glue and pressing down on the edges to seal.
• To hot wok add oil.
• Coat about 4 or 5 of the wrapped bean curds in the batter and add to the wok, carefully sliding them in so the oil doesn't splatter.
• It hurts if it splatters. If needed use a splatter shield. Done right you shouldn't but stranger things have happened.
• Turn as needed until you deep-fry until golden brown (about 5 minutes]. Drain.
• Serve with Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce or seasoned salt. Or other dipping sauce.
• Time is a guess for the frying. Move at your own speed and the woks speed. You want results not to beat a clock.

CHINESE VEGETARIAN RECIPES-FRIED MOCK OYSTER

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for between 20 - 30 minutes. Save the soaking liquid to use if desired. Cut off the stems. Dice. Rinse and drain bean curd. Steam the mushroom pieces and bean curd for 8 minutes. Take each sheet of seaweed and cut into shreds. Combine in a bowl with the steamed mushroom pieces. Place the steamed bean curd in a bowl and add the salt, sugar, cornstarch, MSG, sesame seed oil and pepper. Mash and mix the ingredients with a fork. Wipe the bean curd sheet with a damp cloth. Trim the edges and cut into 10 pieces. Mix together the flour and water mixture until it forms a type of glue. Mix together the batter ingredients. Use soaking liquid from the mushrooms in place of water if desired. Make sure the batter has no lumps.To wrap: Lay out a bean curd square in front of you so that it forms a diamond. Place about a teaspoon of the mashed bean curd in the middle. Add a bit of the seaweed/mushroom mixture and top with another teaspoon of bean curd. Fold the bottom over the filling so that it forms a triangle. Fold over the top. Brush generously with the flour/water mixture, and fold over the left and right sides, brushing with more of the glue and pressing down on the edges to seal.Heat deep fryer on high heat and add oil. Coat about 4 or 5 of the wrapped bean curds in the batter and add to the deep fryer, carefully sliding them in so the oil doesn't splatter. Deep-fry until golden brown (about 5 minutes), turning a few times during the cooking process. Drain.Serve with Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce or seasoned salt. *For a thicker wrap, increase the number of bean curd cakes and vary the amount of seasoning accordingly **This is the roasted seaweed that is often used to make sushi, the popular Japanese appetizer. To freeze: Prepare ahead of time up to wrapping the bean curd and seaweed/mushroom mixture. Freeze the wrapped pieces. When ready to cook, thaw, prepare the batter and deep-fry

MOCK OYSTERS/EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Soak the eggplant about 8 hours in salted water.
• Remove eggplant pieces from the water in which they have soaked.
• In cooking pot, cover eggplant with fresh, slightly salted water and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until eggplant is tender.
• Drain in colander.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line bottom of 2-quart casserole with 1/3 of the saltine cracker crumbs.
• Cover with 2 cups of eggplant.
• Season with half the salt and pepper.
• Cut half the butter into small pieces and sprinkle on top.
• Cover this with half of the remaining saltine cracker crumbs.
• Add remaining 2 cups of eggplant.
• Season with remaining salt and pepper.
• Cover top with remaining saltine cracker crumbs.
• Cut remaining butter into small pieces and sprinkle on top.
• Pour in enough half & half to cover (may not take entire pint).
• Bake for 1 hour or until top layer is brown.