Moo Shu Mushrooms
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- ⅓cup dried Chinese wood ear mushrooms (about 10 grams)
- ¼packed cup dried day lily buds (about 15 grams)
- 1tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1tablespoon light soy sauce or shoyu
- 1teaspoon cornstarch
- ½teaspoon white pepper, plus more as needed
- Kosher salt
- 2ounces pork loin, pork sirloin, chicken breast or extra-firm tofu, cut into 1½- to 2-inch slivers
- 4tablespoons roasted sesame oil
- 3eggs, thoroughly beaten with a pinch of salt
- 2slices fresh ginger
- ½pound mixed sliced fresh mushrooms, preferably Asian mushrooms such as shimeji, shiitake, enoki, oyster or maitake
- 2scallions, thinly sliced on a sharp bias
- ¼teaspoon MSG (optional)
- Mandarin pancakes or warm flour tortillas
- Hoisin sauce or sweet bean sauce
For the Filling
For Serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Rehydrate the dried ingredients for the filling: Place wood ear mushrooms and day lily buds in two separate medium bowls or measuring cups large enough to allow for them to expand about fourfold. Cover with very hot water, and set aside until rehydrated, about 15 minutes. (I use hot tap water, but you could also use water heated on the stovetop or in the microwave.) Drain thoroughly. Remove tough centers from the wood ears, then thinly slice them. Cut day lilies into 2-inch pieces.
- Step 2
While wood ears and day lilies rehydrate, prepare the pork marinade: Combine ½ teaspoon Shaoxing wine, ½ teaspoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon white pepper and a pinch of kosher salt in a medium bowl, and whisk with a fork to combine. Add pork and stir roughly with fingertips or chopsticks until thoroughly combined, then continue stirring for 10 seconds. Set aside for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, make the sauce: Combine remaining 2½ teaspoons Shaoxing wine, 2½ teaspoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until no lumps remain.
- Step 4
Cook the eggs: Heat wok over high until lightly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl to coat. Pour the beaten eggs into the center and cook without moving for 10 seconds. Continue to cook, breaking up the eggs with a spatula until they are barely set, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer eggs to a large bowl.
- Step 5
Wipe out wok and return to high heat until lightly smoking. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil and swirl to coat. Add 1 ginger slice and let sizzle for 5 seconds. Immediately add pork and stir-fry until pork is no longer pink and mostly cooked through, about 1 minute. Discard ginger slice, then transfer pork to bowl with eggs.
- Step 6
Wipe out wok and return to high heat until lightly smoking. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat. Add remaining ginger slice and let sizzle for 5 seconds. Immediately add the fresh mushrooms and stir-fry until mushrooms are lightly browned around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallions, sliced wood ears and day lilies, and stir-fry until softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Step 7
Add the pork and eggs back to the wok. Stir sauce to combine again, then add it to the wok along with the MSG, if using. Stir-fry everything to combine and season to taste with salt and more white pepper, if desired. Discard ginger. Transfer moo shu mixture to a serving platter and serve immediately with Mandarin pancakes and hoisin sauce.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
lee
Helpful hint. We have lots of Asian markets here in Toronto that stock many ingredients. But not everyone working there speaks English and oftemn the labels are not in English either. When I need an ingredient like "dry day lily buds" or various bean sauces I find a picture online (typically with a label on a package) and take it with me. Helps navigate those (for us" exotic ingredients.
Joe A.
OK, I've never found "real" Shaoxing wine in the states. Everything you buy in the Asian markets is not the real deal, and they all have salt added. Who would cook with that? Use the closest substitute to it, amontillado sherry, Don Benigno's is easy to find. And NO salt in it. I use it for all my Chinese cooking.
Carol
To make this vegetarian, I would substitute tofu gan (flavored, pressed bean curd sold as five spice tofu and available at Whole Foods or Asian markets) in place of the pork.
Thom Chu
Joe A.: Quality in Shaoxing wine cannot be measured by whether there is added salt, it is done to avoid taxation of the wine as a beverage. The best ones (including Hua Diao) are aged up to three years and cost around $5 a bottle and do not have added salt. You are using so little added salt in the wine that recipes need not be adjusted. Sherries of any good quality are only an adequate substitute but not as good as run-of-the-mill Shaoxing wine (not rice wine). They are not really equivalent.
Susan
Made this to great acclaim for a highly critical group of 5 eaters. My tweaks: 1. Green cabbage for day lily buds. Amount=1 cup. 2. Sherry for Shaoxing wine. Medium dry as but oh well. 3. Chicken breasts, also used about 3/4 lb. 4. Out of dried mushrooms so used only fresh. Total about 1 lb total. 5. Upping the amount of vegetables, I also upped the scallions to 3 ish. 6. Didn’t anticipate the popularity of the dish. Would do 2 pkgs per (6-7 in a package). 7. No leftovers despite 2x recipe.
Terry C.
You can make the recipe vegetarian by using tofu: "2 ounces pork loin . . . or extra-firm tofu, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch slivers"
John Golden
If I ever think of making this again—it was very nice—I think it’s far easier to go a local Asian restaurant and take out. I spent about $40 including dried Lilly blossoms and store bought mandarin pancakes and made a colossal mess in the kitchen. Too much work if you don’t do this daily. Now I’ve got all these wild and dried mushrooms left over none which I want to use in soup
Susan
Made it, finally for Sunday dinner. Shocked that everyone lapped it up. Some notes: -Sliced two cups cabbage to substitute for flowers -used mostly sake and a little bit of sherry (not very dry) - increased amount of mushrooms- not dried just fresh, and assorted varieties - used flour tortillas but didn’t count number in package. Turns out the 7 worked. - subbed boneless chicken thighs, which I cut into 2” slices. Recommend this recipe!
EricJM
The recipe literally says to use Tofu.
Randy
Others say tofu, but I'd use seitan. The "chicken" one if it's available.
DrDre2008
Is there a fully vegetarian option? What would be an appropriate substitute for the pork or chicken?
Jack
Folks might want to be aware that there is a small percentage of people that are acutely allergic to day lily buds. We sadly discovered this when sautéing some from the prolific flowering in early summer in our neck of the woods. (Nausea, vomiting, other nasty stuff). Not sure if the dried buds are safe for those individuals but my wife, for sure, isn't willing to try! (I love them)
JaneJ
Why dry day lily buds? Can you use fresh? I’d like to beat the deer at their own game for once.
EricJM
What 'state' are you actually referring to? It's everywhere unsalted in NYC. Ever gone to Chinatown or Flushing? Or some of our better liquor or wine stores. Pagoda brand is fine and inexpensive. If someone does need the Sherry substitute, Taylor Dry Sherry works well.
Eric Griffis
We found that we need to use boiling water and a longer soak for the day lily blossoms or they remain to crispy/chewy. We also found that doubling the sauce amount was nice.
Megan
Crowd pleaser. Substituted green cabbage for day lily’s and also used only fresh mushrooms. Go light on the hoisin!
Nancy
I tried it today. I used sherry and tofu and no daylilies. I had some mixed dried mushrooms from Costco that had been around for a while and combined them with fresh button mushrooms. Since there was leftover rice, that’s how I ate it. I may try the leftovers with tortillas. I liked it: it worked ok, but there were a lot of little dishes dirty with all the soaking, marinating and egg beating. At least there were leftovers. It didn’t dawn on me to pick some daylily bulbs. Next time perhaps.
S Baelen
Made this last night & my husband loved it. Used 1/2 package of tofu, fresh wood ear, oyster & shiitake mushrooms. I left out the day lily buds. Also only used 2 eggs. Served with flour tortillas. Plan to make again for vegetarian family dinner. Will add some cabbage & double marinades.
Martha
I usually don’t alter recipes the first time I make them. But as I was serving a vegetarian, I substituted seitan for the pork. Thanks for the inclusion of lily buds, aka golden needles. It makes a subtle but essential difference in this dish as well as in hot and sour soup. The absence of the lily buds is the reason why these two dishes are so unsatisfying in most Chinese restaurants.
AHW
Just an aside, if you don’t want to take the time to make the pancakes and live where fresh tortillas are made daily, they are a very good alternative. Just microwave the amount you need wrapped in a towel or tortilla cloth warmer for 20-30 seconds. Voila!
Chris S.
Question: with the "pork" or other protein added under Step 2, described in the list of ingredients as "cut into 1 1/2 or 2 inch slivers" == are we talking raw meat, or already cooked meat cut into slivers (such as BBQ pork leftovers as the meat base in twice-cooked dishes)?
Sophie
Packed with deliciousness! I made it exactly according to the recipe, except for the scallions which I used raw as a garnish inside each tortilla. Moo shu has always been one of my favorite Chinese dishes and this is a great rendition. I particularly appreciate the small proportion of pork in relation to the veggies. Enough to add some richness but not to dominate. Thanks!
rachel s
Strain and save the water from rehydrating the mushrooms! It wii make your soups more flavorful.
Athena Tee
Prepped all the ingredients and got ready to mix the sauce and marinade when I realized I was out of Shaoxing wine. Used Marsala instead, was surprised it was still tasty AF! Subbed cabbage for the day Lily buds as another commenter suggested. Was a hit, will be making again.
Alex
This serves 2 people
Carol
I really enjoyed this and had it on the table in a bit over an hour. Had I really prepared I would have made the dough at lunchtime and I would have had the dish on the table in less time. Subbed sherry for the wine as I was out and didn't have the dried lily buds, but will get them next time I go to the Hmart. I also used chick breast as I always have some in the freezer as I tend not to eat factory farmed meat. Wasnt about to defrost an entire humanely raised chicken for 2 oz of meat.
S
May be one of my favorite NYT recipes. So versatile. Works great with dried shitakes if that’s what you have on hand and add a little chili crisp at the end for a kick.
lesteruth
used ~4 oz tofu, a whole can of bamboo shoots, sliced and some bean sprouts; doubled the sauce
Diane D
The most difficult thing about this recipe is getting the ingredients together. I couldn't find the wine or lily buds and I didn't want to wait for a deliveryor drive 30 minutes. Sherry subbed for the wine and I left out the buds. It tasted just fine without 'em. I also left out the eggs because I don't eat them. My mixture of mushrooms were shiitake and oyster. I used some pork cutlets that were already sliced thin and easy to sliver. My "pancakes" were flour tortillas. Very good dish
Carol
Same here. Decided at the last minute to make this and I also used sherry. Need to get the lily buds next time I go to the HMart.
Jessie
Husband and I enjoyed this, and our 9 year old tasted some and approved as well. Used tofu with double the marinade, and made marinade and sauce ahead of time. The wood ear mushrooms and daylily buds added great texture, and finally got me to our city's big Asian market. Will make again.
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