Ingredients
200 g fresh lion's mane mushrooms, 100 g rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, 50 g cooked ham, and chicken broth as needed.
Seasonings
Rice wine, salt, MSG, vinegar, scallion, and ginger, all to taste, plus a small amount of agar and cilantro leaves.
Instructions
1. Wash fresh monkey head mushrooms thoroughly and slice them thinly, place in a bowl with a little chicken broth, then add cooking wine, MSG, fine salt, ginger slices, and scallion segments, steam in a steamer until tender, remove, and pour the strained broth into a separate bowl.
2. Take a small soup bowl, grease the bottom, then cut the cooked ham into diamond-shaped slices and arrange them in a flower pattern on the bottom. Blanch the cilantro leaves in boiling water and place them around the ham flower, then arrange the steamed monkey head mushrooms neatly into the bowl.
3. Place a wok over high heat, pour in the steaming liquid from the monkey head mushrooms, then add the agar-agar and cook until fully dissolved. Season with salt, cooking wine, and MSG. Once boiling, skim off any foam from the surface, then remove from heat. Pour the liquid into the bowl with the monkey head mushrooms, let it cool, then refrigerate for about 1 hour until set. Unmold by inverting onto the center of a round plate to form the crystal monkey head.
4. Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms, wash them, and drain well. Heat oil in a wok, add scallion whites and ginger, stir-fry until fragrant, then add the mushrooms along with soy sauce and sugar, braise until fully flavored, drizzle with sesame oil, toss briefly, and remove from the pan. Once cooled, arrange the mushrooms around the crystal monkey head mushroom dish. Serve with vinegar and minced ginger on the side. This dish is crystal-clear and glossy, with a savory and delicious taste.