So I was a little delayed with this meal, but here is my Chinese New Year gift from Chinatown in London put to good use. Key exotics ingredients, Black Fungus and Chayote. Verdict: The crunchy fungus was a nicer texture than thought, but the recipe needed spicing up. The Chayote, billed as somewhere between a potato and a cucumber was more like a cucumber and a pear. It was pleasing. Next to these I added Singapore noodles with red chilli, garlic and ginger, soured and salted with soy and rice vinegar and textured with black sesame seeds. Also pleasing.
Ingredients/Recipe of the Sichuan Black Fungus, 350g of dried black fungus, half a cucumber, 20ml soy, 20ml rice vinegar, two teaspoons of sugar, coriander. Soak, cook and then chill the fungus, Chop and add the cucumber, marinade for an hour, garnish before serving.
Ingredients/Recipe Chayote Salad, 1 chayote, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, salt, chopped red chilli, black sesame seeds. Peel, julienne and parboil the chayote, marinade it for an hour in the fridge, garnish with the chilli and sesame seeds.
Here’s the original post in anticipation.
Thank you Chinatown.
