Vegetarian mains
Chinese Oyster mushroom plum pancakes
Chinese duck pancakes are an absolute crowd pleaser, but you won’t miss the meat in this vegan mushroom version; it’s full of flavour and has an amazing texture just like pulled meat. Oyster mushrooms are by far the best choice of mushrooms for this recipe, as they can be easily shredded and retain the texture when cooked.
Cook's notes
We’ve provided a recipe to make your own pancakes, but you can always buy some if you want to save time.
Ingredients
For the mushroom filling:
- 700g King Oyster mushrooms
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp Chinese 5 spice
- 1 thumb ginger, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
For the pancakes:
- 150g plain white flour
- Sea salt
- 125ml boiling water
To serve:
- ¼ cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 spring onion, cut into thin matchsticks
- Plum sauce
Method
For the mushrooms:
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 160°C/Gas 3. With a fork or your fingers, shred the mushrooms into thin strands. Start by peeling away a little bit from the top and pull it all the way down the length of the mushroom.
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Step 2
In a bowl, mix the shredded mushrooms with the sesame oil, soy sauce and the 5 spice. Spread out on a baking tray and cook for 30 minutes. After 20 minutes, take them out and give them a stir and return to the oven. They are ready when they have browned and are starting to go crispy at the edges. While they cook, prepare your pancakes and garnishes.
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Step 3
In a wok or large frying pan, heat up a glug of vegetable oil. Add the ginger and garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and sesame seeds and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Serve straight away whilst hot.
For the pancakes:
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Step 1
In a mixing bowl, mix the flour with a good pinch of salt. Add the bowling water and stir it in with a spoon. When cool enough to handle, knead into a dough; add more flour if too sticky. It wants to be just dry enough to be rollable. Roll out into a long sausage and divide into 10 balls.
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Step 2
Roll each ball out into a thin disc shape, about 15cm in diameter. Brush the top with a little sesame oil and then place another pancake on top to stick them together.
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Step 3
Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Once the pan and oil is hot, fry the pancakes in their pairs for roughly 40 seconds each side. Remove from pan and then peel the pancakes apart; the outside will be browned and crispy and the inside surface will be delicate and softly steamed.
To serve:
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Step 1
Pile the pancakes on top of each other on a serving plate. Serve at the table alongside a bowl of the mushroom mix, and a plate of the garnishes. Let people build their pancakes themselves for a tasty, tactile experience.