This recipe is a riff on a traditional Chinese dish that is usually made with lobster or shrimp. King mushrooms are sometimes known as abalone mushrooms because of their texture, so they're appropriate substitutes.
There is no lobster in the sauce, but it was traditionally served over lobster (and sometimes shrimp), hence the name. Deep-frying the mushrooms is a technique I learned from the restaurant chef at New Sky in Toronto. It adds wonderful texture to the dish. Substitute stir-fried shrimp for a flavour change.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Vegetable oil for frying
6 to 8 king mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
4 ounces (125 grams) ground pork
1 tablespoon black beans, rinsed (or soaked if really dry)
3/4 cup homemade or low-sodium chicken stock
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
4 cups packed baby spinach
1 cup garlic chives cut into 3-inch pieces
Method
Heat 2 inches of oil in wok or skillet over high heat. Working in batches, add mushrooms and fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Drain on paper towels. Reserve.
Heat wok or skillet over high heat. Add oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Add pork and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, using a spoon to break it up, or until it begins to lose its pinkness. Add black beans and stir-fry until fragrant, then add chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and mushrooms and bring to boil. Add cornstarch mixture, spinach and garlic chives and boil until spinach is wilted and sauce is thickened.