Jul 11, 2011

Liang Ban (Mushroom Salad with Chiles)

Mushrooms, boiled until firm and succulent, are tossed with a dressing of chiles and sesame oil for this spicy salad. This recipe first appeared in SAVEUR Issue #140, along with Beth Kracklauer's story Season of Plenty.

Credit: Ariana Lindquist

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

14 dried chiles de árbol (about 1/4 oz.), stemmed
2 tbsp. minced scallions
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
12 large shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, thinly sliced
Kosher salt, plus more to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Working in batches, place chiles in a spice grinder and process until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in scallions, oil, vinegar, and soy sauce to form a thick sauce; set sauce aside.

2. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat; add mushrooms and cook until lightly chewy, about 5 minutes. Drain mushrooms and transfer to a kitchen towel; squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with sauce and toss until evenly coated. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.