100gDried Shiitake Mushrooms (Flower Mushroom or Winter Mushroom)reserving ½ cup soaking water (see prepping instructions)
2-3Dried Scallopsreserving ¼ cup soaking water (see prepping instructions)
3stalksSpring Onionsseparating white and green parts (see prepping instructions)
1tbspLight Soy Sauce
1tbspDark Soy Sauce
1½tbspOyster Sauce
½-1tspSaltto taste
½cupWater
For marinating the Mushrooms
1tbspSesame Oil
1tbspCornflour
1tspSugar
1tbspOyster Sauce
½tbspDark Soy Sauce
1tbspLight Soy Sauce
Instructions
Ingredients Prep:
Briefly rinse the mushrooms and soak the mushrooms in a bowl of water ideally overnight until softened and expanded in size.
Remove stems and transfer the mushrooms to a separate bowl. Reserve at least ½ cup of the water used for soaking the mushrooms.
Mix in the mushroom marinade ingredients. Give each mushroom a squeeze and massage to let the marinade get in. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.
For the dried scallops, soak in ¼ cup of water for 30 minutes until softened. Reserve the water used for soaking. Shred up the scallops into thin threads.
Soak the Chinese black moss (fat choy) for 30 minutes until softened.
Separate the white and green parts of the spring onions. For the white parts, lightly smash them using the sides of your knife. For the green parts, finely slice them and set aside for garnishing later.
Cooking:
Heat cooking oil in a large pot over high heat. Add sliced ginger and the smashed white parts of the spring onions into the pot. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and lightly charred.
Add in the mushrooms. Saute for 3-5 minutes.
Stir in both light and dark soy sauces, oyster sauce, and salt.
Pour in the reserved water for soaking the mushrooms. Then add in the shredded scallops together with the reserved water used for soaking.
Bring to a boil then add the black moss (fat choy). Toss to mix everything together.
Add water and turn to medium-low heat. Cover with lid and let braise for 30 minutes.
Add a splash of water if the mixture has got too dry. Alternatively, let cook for longer if it's still too liquid.
Toss in sliced green parts of spring onions until they start to wilt. Serve immediately.
Notes
Flower Mushroom (花菇) is the highest grade of dried shiitake mushrooms, followed by Winter Mushroom (冬菇). Both mushrooms have thick and meaty caps, which are essential to this dish.
For best results, cooking in a clay pot is highly recommended.