Braised Kaofu

with Mushrooms, Wood Ears and Bamboo Shoots

Serves 6 to 8

KAOFU IS a steamed fluffy loaf made with wheat gluten, bread flour and baking powder. Its high protein content and sponge-cake texture make it the ideal meat replacement. Just like tofu, kaofu plays an indispensable role in Asian vegetarian cooking.

In Vancouver, there are only a handful of restaurants entirely devoted to vegetarian cooking, and Chef Fang’s homestyle recipes are among the best. In addition to preparing food for her own patrons at Evergreen Vegetarian House, a tiny takeout location at the Empire Centre food court in Richmond, she supplies ready-made foods to a number of local Chinese restaurants. Chef Fang recommends Japanese sesame oil and Yamasa soy sauce, or another naturally fermented soy sauce, for this recipe. Mushroom seasoning can be found in bottles in the sauce and seasoning aisle in Asian markets.

8 medium Chinese dried black mushrooms (or fresh shiitakes)

2 oz wood ear fungus

1 oz dried lily buds, in 2-inch lengths

4 cups vegetable stock

1 oz rock sugar (or white sugar)

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp mushroom-flavoured dark soy sauce

1 Tbsp mushroom seasoning (optional)

1 lb kaofu, in ½- × 2-inch pieces

4 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 oz fresh bamboo shoots, in ¹⁄₁₆-inch slices

1 Tbsp sesame oil

SEPARATELY RINSE CHINESE mushrooms and wood ears thoroughly under running water. Fill 2 medium bowls with 2 cups water each, add mushrooms to one and wood ears to the other and soak for at least 1 hour, or until tender. Drain Chinese mushrooms, remove and discard stems and set aside. Then drain wood ears, slice into bite-size pieces, rinse again and set aside. Rinse lily buds under running water. Fill a small bowl with 2 cups water, add lily buds and soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of the vegetable stock, sugar, soy sauce, dark soy sauce and mushroom seasoning to a gentle boil on medium. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Add kaofu. Using a spatula, toss kaofu in the marinade, pressing it to be sure liquid is evenly distributed. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl. Drain kaofu, reserving the marinade and pressing with the spatula to extract as much marinade as possible. Place kaofu in a separate bowl.

In a wok, heat 3 Tbsp of the vegetable oil on high. Add kaofu and sauté for 1 minute. Add marinade, stirring and cooking for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it’s completely absorbed. Return kaofu to the bowl and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium.

Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in the wok, then add Chinese mushrooms and sauté for 30 seconds. Increase the heat to high, add 1 cup of the vegetable stock, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add bamboo shoots, stir well, then cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until stock is absorbed. Add the remaining 1 cup vegetable stock, wood ears and lily buds, mix well and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, add kaofu without stirring, and cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid and stir gently for 30 to 45 seconds, or until stock is fully absorbed.

Transfer to a large serving platter, drizzle evenly with sesame oil and serve immediately.