Gingery Chicken-Mushroom Mouthfuls

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

25 people added this to their Recipe Box

This recipe makes 20 servings

This filling of minced chicken is given a texture boost with crunchy water chestnuts. It's wonderful stuffed into shiitake mushrooms to serve as hot appetizers.

Ingredients

20 20dried black shiitake mushroomshiitake mushrooms, each about 1-3/4 inches in diameter (total 2oz/60 g)
2 cups warm water 2 2cups cupswarm water
1/2 lb ground chicken 1/2 1/2lb lbground chicken
2 tbsp finely chopped green onions 2 2tbsp tbspfinely chopped green oniongreen onions
6 water chestnuts , finely chopped6 6water chestnutwater chestnuts, finely chopped
1 tbsp dry sherry 1 1tbsp tbspdry sherry
1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 1tbsp tbsplight soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch 1 1tsp tspcornstarch
1/2 1/2tsp tspfinely chopped fresh gingerroot
1/4 tsp granulated sugar 1/4 1/4tsp tspgranulated sugar
1 tbsp vegetabIe oil 1 1tbsp tbspvegetabIe oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce 2 2tbsp tbspoyster sauce
fresh Coriander leaves fresh Coriander leaves

Preparation

In bowl, combine mushrooms and water; weigh down, if necessary, and soak for 30 minutes or until caps are softened. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the soaking liquid. With sharp knife, cut off stalks where they join caps (reserve stalks for future use to flavour soup).

Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix together chicken, onion, water chestnuts, sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch, gingerroot and sugar; blend well. Divide mixture into 5 parts, each portion filling 4 mushrooms. Set bowl of cold water nearby for dipping hands when working with sticky filling. With spoon, fill mushroom caps, rounding stuffing smoothly with fingers or spoon.

Smear oil over bottom of skillet large enough to hold mushrooms in single layer; arrange mushrooms filling side up in skillet. Fry over high heat for 30 to 40 seconds or just until sizzling. Pour reserved mushroom soaking liquid into skillet; cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes or until filling is firm and has turned white.

Uncover and drizzle oyster sauce over chicken filling. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, basting constantly with bulb baster, until filling and mushrooms are glazed and liquid has almost evaporated.

Transfer to warmed platter; pour any pan juices over. Decorate with coriander and serve immediately.