Braised Sea Cucumbers, 红烧海参

"This stuff is expensive" - Mom

We don’t make this often, but when we do it’s a treat. On the bright side, sea cucumber prices have been steadily falling in the last decade. Time to enjoy these soft juicy creatures!

Ingredients 

• sea cucumbers

• tree ear mushrooms (aka black fungus)

• dried shitaki mushrooms

• ginger

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

• 1 tbsp Soy sauce

• 1 tsp sugar

  For reference, here are the brands we used for wood ear mushrooms and shitaki mushrooms:

  

Steps

If you’re starting with dried sea cucumber, soak the dried sea cucumbers for 3 days and change the water each day. The water must be very clean distilled water. Any oil in the water and the sea cucumbers will not taste good. Or feel free to start with fresh sea cucumber.

After the sea cucumbers are fully hydrated, slice in diagonals.

Soak black fungus and shitaki mushrooms in water to soften them as well. This can take a few hours.

When you’re ready to cook, heat oil in wok and add sliced ginger.

Stir fry the mushrooms first for short time.

Stir in the sea cucumbers and add a half bowl of water.

Add 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp sugar.

Transfer to a pot and add more water.

Bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to simmer.

Add a few drops of oyster sauce and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Ensure the pot always has sufficient water when simmering. 

Add 1 tbsp soy sauce after it is done simmering and mix it in.

That’s pretty much it! Serve on a plate and you’re done!

Yum!