Chinese Mushroom Stir-Fry with Red Pepper
菌菇小炒
This is the stir-fry to make when your fridge is full of mushrooms! The shimeji keep a nice bite, the shiitake turn meaty and savory, and the red pepper adds a little sweetness and crunch. There's just enough sauce to coat everything and run into your rice.
Give the mushrooms a few minutes on their own in a hot pan. Wait for the pan to look dry again before you add the garlic.
- Total
- 25 minutes
- Serves
- 4
Recipe
Chinese Mushroom Stir-Fry with Red Pepper
- Prep
- 15 minutes
- Cook
- 10 minutes
- Total
- 25 minutes
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the sauce
For the stir-fry
Instructions
- 1
Prep the mushrooms and pepper
Trim the base from the beech mushrooms and pull them apart into small clusters. Remove the shiitake stems and slice the caps ¼ inch thick. Cut the bell pepper into ¼-inch strips. If the mushrooms look dirty, wipe them with a damp towel instead of soaking them.
- 2
Mix the sauce
Stir the water, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and white pepper in a small bowl until the cornstarch dissolves.
- 3
Brown the mushrooms
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in an even layer and leave them alone for 1 minute. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes more, until the liquid they release has mostly cooked off and the edges start to brown.
- 4
Add the garlic and pepper
Push the mushrooms to one side. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon oil, the garlic, and the scallion whites to the empty space and stir for 20 seconds. Add the bell pepper and stir-fry everything for 1 to 2 minutes, until the pepper softens at the edges but stays bright red.
- 5
Add the sauce and serve
Stir the sauce again and pour it into the pan. Toss for 30 to 60 seconds, until it thickens slightly and coats the vegetables. Add the scallion greens and sesame oil, if using, and toss once more. Serve hot with rice.
Chinese Mushroom Stir-Fry with Red Pepper
All ingredients · 13
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Shortcuts and substitutions
Other mushrooms
Use about 11 ounces of any mix. Slice king oyster or cremini mushrooms, and tear oyster mushrooms into strips. Add enoki in the last minute because they cook very quickly.
Vegan version
Use vegetarian stir-fry sauce, sometimes labeled vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom sauce. Regular oyster sauce contains oyster extract.
Different vegetables
Green bell pepper, snow peas, or thinly sliced carrots all work. Add carrots with the mushrooms so they have time to soften.
Make it a main dish
Add 8 ounces of pressed firm tofu, cut into cubes, with the bell pepper. Or stir-fry 6 ounces of thinly sliced pork or chicken first, set it aside, and return it to the pan with the sauce.
Recipe notes
Use your widest pan
Mushrooms brown best in a single layer. In a pan smaller than 12 inches, cook them in two batches and combine them before adding the sauce.
Storing mushrooms
Keep mushrooms in their original package or a paper bag in the refrigerator, and use them within 5 days. A sealed plastic bag traps moisture and makes them slimy.
Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat them briefly in a hot skillet so the mushrooms don't turn rubbery.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are shimeji mushrooms?
Shimeji, also called beech mushrooms, grow in clusters of long stems with small caps. Brown shimeji are 蟹味菇 in Chinese, and white ones are 白玉菇. They taste mild and nutty and stay pleasantly firm after cooking.
Should you wash mushrooms before stir-frying?
Cultivated mushrooms like shimeji and shiitake are usually clean. Wipe off any dirt with a damp towel, or rinse them quickly and pat them dry right before cooking. Wet mushrooms take longer to brown.
Can you eat shiitake stems?
Fresh shiitake stems are tough, so remove them for this stir-fry. Save them in the freezer for making stock.
Is this mushroom stir-fry vegan?
It's vegan when you use vegetarian stir-fry sauce in place of oyster sauce. Everything else in the recipe is plant-based.
Why is my mushroom stir-fry watery?
Mushrooms release a lot of liquid as they cook. Use high heat and a wide pan, and keep stir-frying until that liquid cooks off before you add the sauce. A crowded pan steams the mushrooms instead of browning them.
Can I use dried shiitake mushrooms?
Yes. Soak 6 dried shiitake in hot water for at least 30 minutes, until fully soft. Squeeze them dry, remove the stems, and slice the caps. They taste stronger and smokier than fresh shiitake.
