King Oyster Mushrooms: King of Plant-Based Cooking?
King oyster mushrooms, also known as king trumpet mushrooms, are a cornerstone of plant-based cooking for me. They don’t have the rubbery texture I sometimes find off-putting in portobello mushrooms, and they have a more delicate flavor reminiscent of steamed white fish or, yes, shellfish like scallops!
They’re also super easy to prepare. Just rinse and cut into whatever shapes you need. Plus, they cook very quickly! A godsend for fast weeknight plant-based or vegan meals.
Our Inspiration: Steamed Scallops with Glass Noodles
When Sarah and my parents were living in Beijing, there was a home-style restaurant a short walk from their apartment that had a vast menu of classic Chinese dishes, some more special and some more humble. Many of them were favorite dishes that we’d order over and over. You can actually still find recipes on the blog from those days! Dishes like cabbage stir-fry with egg and glass noodles, and the inspiration for this dish: Steamed Scallops with Glass Noodles! Delicate scallops are placed in decorative shells on a bed of glass noodles and topped with a sweet soy sauce, lots of garlic, and a little scallion. You eat it in one or two bites, and it’s so tasty and pure in flavor. We could never resist getting at least a couple every time! So one night recently I was searching my refrigerator and pantry for something that would be tasty, easy, and due to my recent mission to eat less meat and more plants, VEGAN. I had a package of king mushrooms and glass noodles in the pantry, and this dish was born.
One of the Easiest Noodle Dishes Ever
This dish takes about as long as it takes you to cut the mushrooms and boil the water. The king mushrooms sear and caramelize fast in a cast-iron skillet (if you’re making a larger batch, make sure they have room to brown—steamed mushrooms don’t have the same effect here), and the glass noodles only need about 2 minutes in boiling water. While that’s happening, mince the garlic, cut the scallions, and then toss all the ingredients right in the serving bowl. (Though we made things fun for the post and also show them served in scallop shells!) That’s it! Really! The real fun part is whether or not you want to cut the mushrooms in a simple dice, or in rounds to look like little scallops. Cutting the mushroom in a disc using its natural shape, and then adding a few scallop-like shallow cuts along the rim of the mushroom gives it that uncanny scallop-look, and makes for a meatier bite of mushroom. Check it out both ways!
Recipe Instructions
Set a small pot of water to boil. Prep the garlic and scallions. In a serving dish, set aside half of the garlic and the scallions, along with the light soy sauce, sugar, and white pepper (if using).
Heat a skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil, and add the diced king mushrooms. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt to draw out the water. Toss to coat in the oil, but don’t stir much from here to allow them to caramelize. (If cooking rounds, simply cook on each side until caramelized.)
Cook the noodles per the package instructions. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Set aside ¼ cup of the noodle cooking water. Transfer the noodles to the serving dish.
The mushrooms should be cooked by now. Add those to the serving dish as well. In the mushroom skillet, add the other half of the garlic, and brown lightly in the residual oil. Add a few spoonfuls of the cooking water to deglaze the pan. Pour the mixture over the noodles and mushrooms. Toss everything together and serve.
