Chicken & Brown Enkoi Mushroom & Orange Chiffon

The other day while I was shopping in town with my family, I happened to see this really lovely ingredient at the grocery department. Yes, it's lovely! It's almost like something you can find in the deep seabed....like a sea anemone. There were people crowding around the "demo lady" whom was cooking up the lovely ingredient and giving out free samples. I grabbed one and tasted it.....delicious!!! Well well, this ingredient is none other then the Enkoi mushroom. I am sure you have seen and tasted the white version before. However this time, what I saw was the brown Enkoi mushroom imported from Korea, quite special I must say. ;)

Without hesitation, I bought a couple back and was already planning how can I cook it. Since it was really fresh when I bought it, it would such a waste if I don't quickly use it soon. :P And I am sure you all know how mushrooms will become after a couple days sitting in the fridge. :oP So I decided to cook a simple dish; Saute Chicken and Enkoi Mushroom. This is a common dish which I am sure many of you out there have made it before at home.

Besides the enkoi mushrooms, I added some oyster mushrooms as well. :) Here is the recipe for Saute Chicken & Brown Enkoi Brown Mushrooms:

Ingredients:
300g chicken breast, sliced into bite size
1 pack of oyster mushrooms, about 250g
1 pack of brown enkoi mushrooms, about 220g (feel free to substitute it with white ones)
1 tbsp chopped garlic & shallots
Seasoning for chicken:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese cooking wine (绍兴酒）
a dash of pepper
1 tbsp corn flour
Seasoning for dish:1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1.5 tsp sugar
a dash of sesame oil
1 tsp cornflour + 1 tbsp water for thickening

Method:

• Marinate the chicken pieces with the seasoning for it. Let it seat for at least 15 minutes.
• Cut the brown enkoi mushrooms from their rooms and break up the mushrooms a little so that it won't be big chunks. Do the same for the oyster mushrooms, break the mushrooms into smaller pieces. Set aside for use later.
• In a large saute pan, add some cooking oil and add the garlic and shallot in and cook at medium fire. Cook till fragrant and add in the chicken pieces. Cook till the chicken has becomes opaque and slightly brown.
• Add in both prepared mushrooms, follow by the seasoning for the dish. Stir well and cover for 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the thickening mixture and cook for another 30 secs. Dish up and serve while it's still warm.

A simple enough and yet delicious dish that anyone can whip up anytime of the week. :) The brown enkoi mushrooms were actually smooth on the outside and still maintain its "crunch" and bite on the inside...excellent! Matching it with chicken and another mushroom was great because of its unique texture and flavor. :) I do hope you will try this brown enkoi mushrooms the next time you see it selling in the grocer next time. :) Enjoy!!

Another dish I want to share with everyone today is a simple Orange Chiffon cake. I have been wanting to try making another chiffon for a long time and that 2 oranges seating in my fridge just seems to answer my call. ;) I was actually procrastinating whether to post this up because it seems pretty common, but after the rave reviews I had from this cake, I decided to just post it.

Bakes a 20/21/22 cm tube pan
Ingredients:
(A)
4 egg yolks
100 ml. Orange juice
15 ml. water
85 ml. corn oil
80 gm. sugar
75g Cake flour
75g plain flour
3 gm. salt

Zest of 1 orange
 
(B)
5 egg white
80 gm. sugar

Method:

• Sieve the flours twice and set aside. Preheat the oven to 170C.
• Place the egg yolks and sugar over a heat proof bowl over a double boiler on a gentle simmer. Using a hand beater, whisk the mixture till foamy. Then add the juice and zest and continue to whisk till ribbon stage. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for later use.
• In another bowl, beat the egg white and cream of tartar together till foamy. Gradually add in the caster sugar while the beater whisk at high speed. When it reaches stiff peaks, stop the mixer.
• In 3 separate portions, fold the whites into the yolk mixture till all is combined.
• Also in 3 separate portions, sieve the flour mixture into the egg mixture and gently fold in till all the flours are not visible.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and give it a light tap on the table to remove some bubbles.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or till golden brown and tester comes out clean.

On the first time I made this (without tasting it yet) I was a little worried that it will be too plain on its own. So I went ahead and ice the whole cake with fresh cream and top it with some orange wedges.

With the cream it was great and I realize the cake taste great on its own too! So after this first attempt, I modified the recipe (as above) and it turned out wonderful! I was really happy with it and made consecutive 4 times to share with my parents, my neighbors and my SIL.

The citrus aroma from the orange peel and juice was a such delight and very refreshingly light cake. A keeper I must say. Please don't hesitate to make this, it will become your family favorite. Even my younger daughter whom isn't very fond of chiffon cake, love it too. :D However from now on, I think eating it plain and no extra topping already suffice for me. ;) Try it and you will know what I mean. Have a great school holiday week with your kids! ;)