Hong Kong Steamed Chicken with Shiitake and Black Fungus
A comforting and healthy Cantonese dish featuring tender chicken pieces steamed with rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and crunchy black fungus. The natural juices from the chicken and mushrooms create a flavorful sauce that is perfect served over rice.
🧂 Ingredients
- 500 g Chicken thighs(skinless, boneless, cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 8 medium Dried shiitake mushrooms(rehydrated, stems removed, sliced)
- 10 g Dried black fungus (wood ear mushroom)(rehydrated, tough parts removed, torn into pieces)
- 1 tbsp Ginger(finely julienned)
- 2 stalks Scallions(cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts separated)
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp White pepper
- 1/4 tsp Salt
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms and black fungus in warm water until softened. For shiitake mushrooms, this may take 30 minutes to an hour. For black fungus, about 20 minutes. Once rehydrated, remove the tough stems from the mushrooms and tear the black fungus into bite-sized pieces.
- 2
Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Julienne the ginger and cut the scallions into 1-inch pieces, separating the white and green parts.
- 3
In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken pieces, sliced shiitake mushrooms, black fungus pieces, julienned ginger, and the white parts of the scallions.
- 4
Add the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, white pepper, and salt to the bowl. Mix everything thoroughly until the chicken is evenly coated. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator).
- 5
Arrange the marinated chicken mixture in a single layer on a heatproof plate or shallow steaming dish.
- 6
Prepare a steamer by bringing water to a rolling boil in a wok or pot. Place the steaming dish with the chicken into the steamer. Cover tightly and steam over high heat for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- 7
Once cooked, remove the dish from the steamer. Garnish with the green parts of the scallions.
- 8
Serve hot with steamed rice.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Using chicken thighs ensures a more tender and juicy result compared to chicken breast.
- ✓Don't overcrowd the steaming dish; arrange the chicken in a single layer for even cooking.
- ✓For a richer flavor, you can marinate the chicken for longer, even overnight in the refrigerator.
🔄 Variations
- Add rehydrated dried lily buds or goji berries along with the other ingredients for added texture and subtle sweetness.
- If you prefer, you can use chicken breast, but reduce the steaming time to about 15 minutes.