Grandma's Steamed Chicken and Shiitake Mushrooms

This dish is hot diggity good! It's gotta be, it is my grandmother's recipe. She makes this every time she comes to Ottawa to visit, and this time, I took advantage of her time here, and asked her to teach me how to make it.

This is a light and healthy dish, and I never feel guilty eating it. The last time I had this, I ate until my stomach screamed for me to stop. I prefer this dish on the milder side. If you wish, you can add more flavor by increasing the amount of oyster sauce.

This recipe yields 4 servings.

Steamed Chicken and Shiitake Mushrooms
- 3 chicken thighs (approx 1.4 lbs, 0.65 kg)
- 8-10 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 3 1/2 tsp of corn starch
- 4 tsp of oyster sauce
- 1 tsp of soy sauce
- 3-4 Tbsp ginger, cut into matchsticks
- 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp + 1/8 tsp of sesame oil

Method
1. Break the stems off the dried shiitake mushrooms, and discard the stems. Soak the shiitake mushrooms in lukewarm water for at least 2 hours. Wring the water out of the mushrooms, and slice them thinly (approx 1/8 inch thick).

2. Remove the excess fat from the chicken, and cut them into small pieces (approx the size of a small matchbox).

3. In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces, corn starch, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, and mix well. Add in 2 tsp of olive oil and 1 tsp of sesame oil, and continue mixing until the oil is evenly distributed. Finally, add in the shiitake mushrooms and ginger, and mix gently. Adding the mushrooms and ginger at the end will ensure that the two will not absorb too much oil.

4. Place the chicken mixture in a round dish that is approximately 9 inches in diameter and 1 inch high. Place the plate in a Chinese steaming basket, and steam for 20 minutes. Right before serving, add 1/8 tsp of sesame oil to the chicken, mix well, and serve.

The chicken releases a wonderful broth that tastes excellent when mixed with white sticky rice.