Vegan ‘Oyster’ Sauce
Ingredients
4 large dried shitake mushrooms
6 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tsp ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 organic coconut sugar
1 tbs Himalayan pink salt
3 tbs No fish sauce (or 1 tbs Redboat/Son fish sauce)
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
2 2/2 tsp tapioca starch dissolved in 2 tbs filtered water
Method
Place 2 small jars in a pot of boiling water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the jars with tongs and leave to dry on the counter. Turn off the heat and place to lids in the hot water. Leave for several minutes. Remove with tongs and place on the counter, inside facing upwards to air dry.
Wash and soak shitake mushrooms in 1 1/4 cups filtered water overnight.
Peel and roughly chop both the garlic and ginger. Squeeze out the water from the mushrooms and cut them in to small pieces. Add the mushrooms, the soaking water, garlic and ginger to a blender jar and run for 1 minute until you have a smooth liquid with no bits or pieces.
Heat a non stick ceramic frying pan to a low-medium heat. Add the sugar and 3 tbs filtered water. Do not stir. Allow the sugar to cook until it is bubbling and browning for about 8-10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the blended mushrooms. Stir in the sugar and crusty pieces as they will dissolve.
Put the pan back on a medium heat and add the salt. Stirring constantly, add the No fish sauce and Chinese five spice. Make the tapioca slurry and add it in to the oyster sauce. Cook for several minutes stirring it until it thickens slightly.
Take off the heat. Taste and adjust flavours if needed. Spoon in to sterilised jars, seal and leave on the counter to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.
