WOOD EARS MUSHROOMS RECIPES

Steps:

• Soak mushrooms in 8 cups water overnight.
• When ready to prepare salad, put a large pot of water on to boil. Set a large bowl of ice water near the stove. Drain the mushrooms and cut into 3-inch pieces. Add to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Drain and pat the mushrooms dry.
• Heat chili oil, ginger, garlic and sesame oil in a small skillet over medium heat until starting to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add chili-bean sauce (or sambal oelek) and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Remove from heat and whisk in reduced-sodium soy sauce, thick (or dark) soy sauce, black vinegar and sugar.
• Transfer the sauce to a large bowl. Add the mushrooms and cilantro and stir to coat.

Steps:

• First, you will need to rehydrate the dried mushrooms. 1 cup of dried mushrooms will approx yield 4 cups of rehydrated wood ear mushrooms. 
• In a medium-sized pot, cook the mushrooms in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat off and let it steep for 15-20 minutes or until soft. 
• Drain and rinse well in cold water. Let it dry completely. You can also use a salad spinner to remove the excess water. Trim off the hard stems, if any. You can keep it as it is or cut into smaller pieces if you prefer. 
• In a large salad bowl, add the garlic, chili peppers, soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, and sesame oil.  Blend well. Now, add the cooked wood ear mushrooms and toss to coat it all over. 
• Refrigerate it for an hour so that the mushrooms are marinated. Toss it once or twice during this time to make sure the sauce does not settle at the bottom. 
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve cold as an appetizer or a side dish.