Health food: Black fungus salad
What is it?
An edible fungus also known as wood ear, cloud ear, tree ear, mu-er (Chinese), kikurage (Japanese) and Auricularia polytricha (Latin). It grows on trees, both dead and alive, in the form of dark, velvety "ears", but don't let that put you off. Long valued in Asian stir-fries, soups and noodle salads for its crisp and crunchy, slightly rubbery texture, it is now being feted by some of Australia's starriest chefs.
Where is it?
At Sydney's est. restaurant, chef Peter Doyle uses black fungus as a textural playmate for Murray cod, shaved abalone, snow peas, cucumber in a zesty ginger and spring onion vinaigrette. "It's there for its textural crispness, to play off the softness of the cucumber and the fish," he says. "The great thing is that it holds its crunch and doesn't soften, which gives the dish contrast."
John Gates of The Mushroom Company has been growing the "eary" fungi in the misty gloom of the Blue Mountains' Glenbrook Railway Tunnels for 10 years now. "Probably the most popular use for it is in Thai salads," he says. "It's very nice with a bit of chilli."
It's also a smart choice for vegetarians, as seen at the clean-living Patch Cafe in Richmond, Melbourne, where chef Brett Tait puts his love affair with wild mushrooms on the plate in the form of shiitake, wood ear fungus, oyster mushrooms, topped with a poached egg and truffle oil on sourdough or paleo toast.
Why do I care?
Because in Chinese medicine, it is believed to purify the blood and be good for the heart.
Can I do it at home?
Yep. Fresh fungus is available from selected supermarkets (Harris Farm, Woolworths), Asian greengrocers and health food stores. Dried fungus, available from Asian food stores, can be rehydrated in hot water for one hour, drained and sliced.
Sourcing
VIC Patch Cafe, Shop 1, 32 Bendigo Street, Richmond 03 9029 0328
NSW Est., Level 1, Establishment, 252 George Street, Sydney 02 9240 3000
Photography credits:
Photo Edwina Pickles
Food Jill Dupleix
Chicken and black fungus salad
If you can't get fresh fungus, use dried instead, or substitute fresh shiitake, chestnut or oyster mushrooms.
100g fresh black (wood ear) fungus
400g cooked chicken meat
100g frozen edamame (soy beans)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp black-rice or plum vinegar
1 tbsp honey
½ garlic clove, finely grated
1 red chilli, sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
½ small Lebanese cucumber, finely sliced
handful coriander sprigs
1 tsp sesame seeds
1. Pour a kettle of boiling water over the fungus, drain and rinse. Tear into smaller pieces, discarding any hard root. Tear the cooked chicken into shreds.
2. Cook the edamame in boiling salted water for five minutes, then drain and pod.
3. Whisk the sesame oil, olive oil, vinegar, honey, garlic and chilli together in a large bowl. Add the black fungus, chicken, edamame, carrot, cucumber and coriander sprigs and lightly toss. Scatter with sesame seeds and serve.
Serves 4 as share dish