Name: Chicken and Chinese Black Mushroom Stew
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings with steamed white rice
Cuisine: Singaporean
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. Granulated sugar; 8 Shallots, roughly chopped (about 1 cup); 20 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped (¾ cup); 2 Tbsp. Thick soy sauce (or sub 3 Tbsp. dark soy and reduce regular soy by 1 Tablespoon); 1 recipe Malaysian pickles (acar awak); 8 (about 2½ lbs. / 1.125 kg.) Chicken thighs, bone in, skin off; 2 Tbsp. Soy sauce; ½ cup Vegetable oil; 10 Dried Chinese black mushrooms (shiitake); 6 Tbsp. Ground bean sauce (tau cheung); 1 lb. (454 g.) Gold (waxy) potatoes, 1-inch (2.5 cm.) chunks

Preparation info

Makes
4 to 6
servings with steamed white rice

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Southeast Asian Flavors

By Robert Danhi

Published 2008

About

This rich stew is always a great introduction to Malaysian food. Its rich sauce with mahogany potatoes and resilient mushrooms creates a stew that wouldn’t seem all that unfamiliar to most Americans. A piquant pickle, “achar,” which adds a punch of vibrancy to the finished dish, is a frequent accompaniment. Some families substitute pork shoulder for the chicken, a testament to the Chinese penchant for pork.