Sea cucumbers are braised with mushroom and chicken in aromatic and umami sauce. Recipe can be prepared on the stove or on in a pressure cooker.
If you are looking for a recipe to cook with sea cucumber, this is a good one as I love braising sea cucumber. They are like sponges absorbing all the seasonings and aromatics you cook them in. You need to prepare ahead though because the sea cucumber needs to be rehydrated as it takes several days for that.
How to braise sea cucumber with chicken and mushroom with Instant Pot
I didn’t have a step-by-step photo for cooking on the stove, but it is a similar process, just a slightly longer time if you cook on the stove.
1. Soak the mushrooms in hot water until soften and plump. Trim off the stems. I leave the mushrooms whole for a better presentation. You can use a very sharp knife to score a “X” sign on the mushroom cap
2. Press saute on Instant pot. When it’s hot, add cooking oil. Add the aromatics and stir fry until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
3. Deglaze with wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure you get all the little bits unstuck if any
4. Add the chicken and mushrooms followed by seasonings. Add water, just barely to cover everything. Turn off saute mode
5. Cover the lid. Turn steam release valve to seal. Press “pressure cooker”, “high pressure”. Set timer to “30 minutes”. When the timer is up, wait 5 minutes and then release pressure completely. Carefully unlock the lid and add the sea cucumber pieces. Let them submerge in the braising liquid. Press saute and cook for another 15 minutes to let the flavor be absorbed
6. If you want to thicken the sauce, mix cornstarch with water and stir it in and keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat
7. Garnish with some chopped green onion and serve with rice
Variations
Meat: you can also use pork shoulder
Meatless: you can use extra-firm tofu, dried bean curds (tau kee), or seitan
Vegetables: you can also bamboo shoots
How to store leftovers
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. They also freeze well. Simply transfer them to a freezer-friendly container and they can be kept frozen for up to one month. Simply thaw them overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove or on the microwave until heated through
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Braised Sea Cucumber with Chicken and Mushroom
Ingredients
- 500 gr rehydrated sea cucumber
- 800 gr chicken drumsticks or thighs, drumettes
- 10 large shiitake mushrooms
- Water enough to cover
Aromatics:
- 1 star anise
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 small purple onion
- 1 bulb garlic
Seasonings:
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- 20 gr rock sugar
- 20 gr brown sugar
Garnish:
- 1 stalk green onion finely chopped
To thicken the sauce: (optional)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients for seasonings in a bowl and set aside
- Soak the mushrooms in hot water until soften and plump. Trim off the stems. I leave the mushrooms whole for a better presentation. You can use a very sharp knife to score a "X" sign on the mushroom cap
If cooking with Instant Pot:
- Press saute on Instant pot. When it's hot, add cooking oil. Add the aromatics and stir fry until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Deglaze with wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure you get all the little bits unstuck if any. Add the chicken and mushrooms followed by seasonings. Add water, just barely to cover everything.Turn off saute mode
- Cover the lid. Turn steam release valve to seal. Press "pressure cooker", "high pressure". Set timer to "20 minutes". When the timer is up, wait 5 minutes and then release pressure completely
- Carefully unlock the lid and add the sea cucumber pieces. Let them submerge in the braising liquid. Press saute and cook for another 15 minutes to let the flavor be absorbed by the sea cucumber pieces. Have a taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste
- If you want to thicken the sauce, mix cornstarch with water and stir it in and keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn off the saute mode
If cooking on the stove:
- Preheat a large heavy-bottom pot, like Dutch oven. Add cooking oil. Add the aromatics and stir fry until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Deglaze with wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure you get all the little bits unstuck if any. Add the chicken and mushrooms followed by seasonings. Add water, just barely to cover everything
- Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and let it gently braised for the next 45minutes to one hour or longer or until the chicken pieces are tender
- 15 minutes before the end of cooking time add the sea cucumber. I have pre-cooked the sea cucumber after rehydrating them, so they don't take long to cook anymore. Have a taste and add more soy sauce as needed to your taste. It should be savory with just a hint of sweetness
- If you want to thicken the sauce, mix cornstarch with water and stir it in and keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat
To serve:
- Garnish with some chopped green onion and serve with rice
