Baby Shiitake & Baby Bok Choy

by Isabelle Kirouac & Willoughby Arevalo

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

This dish uses mostly Chinese and Japanese ingredients. Feel free to substitute other greens –
gai lan, yao choy or shanghai choy are obvious options, but you could also do this with tender
little kale leaves, chard, (purple sprouting) broccoli, rapini, pea tips, nettles, spinach, or even
baby gem lettuce. Heck, it would be awesome with asparagus or green beans. You could also
substitute other small, whole mushrooms – nameko, shimeji, pioppino, shaggy mane, honey
mushrooms, chanterelles, or bellybutton hedgehogs.

¼ cup neutral, high heat oil, such as sunflower
½ lb (about 4 cups) fresh baby shiitake, stems trimmed (reserve for another purpose). If only big
shiitake are available, cut into quarters. Dried shiitake can be substituted; just soak in lukewarm
water until fully hydrated, about 30-45 minutes.
2-4 cloves of garlic, sliced
¾ lb (about 5 cups) baby bok choy, rinsed and dried in a salad spinner, bases trimmed, larger
leaves separated, cores left intact.
1” ginger, peeled and finely grated (about 2 tsp)
Juice and ¼ of the zest of an orange (preferably organic)
About 1 tsp good soy sauce, such as shoyu or tamari
1 scant tsp shio-koji (if you can’t find it just use extra soy sauce or some mirin)
1 tsp brown sugar (omit if using mirin)
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, lightly crushed

Have everything prepped and ready. Heat a big skillet or wok over medium high to high heat,
depending on your stove. When the pan starts to smoke, add the oil and shiitake. Saute, tossing
occasionally until the mushrooms have lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, bok
choy, ginger, orange juice and zest, soy sauce, shio-koji and brown sugar (or mirin), and stir fry
another 2-3 minutes, until the greens are wilted and bright but not soft, and the sauce is
thickened but still liquid. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Off the heat, add the hazelnuts,
and serve promptly with short grain (brown) rice.