Chestnut Vegan Chicken 板栗烧平菇

Hand shredded oyster mushrooms with a chewy bite, cooked with sweet autumn chestnuts. My vegan take on the classic chestnut chicken.

Serves 2 to 3.

Ingredients

• 10 ounces oyster mushrooms (平菇)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, for salting the mushrooms
• 1/2 cup sweet potato flour
• 1 cup frozen chestnuts (板栗)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon vegan oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• about 1/2 cup water

Steps

1. Shred the oyster mushrooms by hand into strips.
2. Sprinkle with the salt and let them rest for 10 minutes.
3. Squeeze out as much water as you can. The drier the mushrooms, the better the texture.
4. Add the sweet potato flour and roll the mushrooms into balls.
5. Heat the oil in a pan and pan fry the balls until they are soft enough to break apart with a spatula.
6. Add the chestnuts, the soy sauce and the vegan oyster sauce.
7. Add a little water and braise for 3 to 5 minutes, until the chestnuts are heated through and everything is coated in sauce.

Notes

Frozen chestnuts work straight from the bag. Fresh chestnuts are lovely too, just peel them and cook them a bit before they go in the pan.