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Crispy Oyster Mushroom Skewers With Bok Choy Salad

Oyster Mushroom Skewers and salad on a plate
Photo by David Loftus

Oyster mushrooms are a strong all-rounder in the kitchen, seeming to straddle both plant and meat worlds in what they look and taste like when cooked. Here they’re coated in a marinade my mother used to use when cooking Chinese food at home—honey, soy, garlic and ginger—and roasted until golden, crisp, and juicy.

Make the rice first if you’re eating it alongside. You’ll need two large baking sheets (mine are 16x12") and eight long metal or wooden skewers. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak in water for 20 minutes beforehand.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    40 minutes

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

Mushrooms

6 Tbsp. canola oil
3 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. light soy sauce
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 1½" pieces ginger (1½ oz.), grated
¼ tsp. salt
1¾ lb. oyster mushrooms

Salad

8½ oz. bok choy or choy sum
1 celery stalk, sliced into thin half-moons
½ English cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
1 red Thai chile, finely chopped

Mayo and Assembly

¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. rice vinegar
¾ oz. fresh chives, finely chopped
Cooked jasmine rice (for serving)
Toasted sesame oil (for serving)
Salt
½ cup salted peanuts, finely chopped

Preparation

  1. Mushrooms

    Step 1

    Preheat oven to 425° and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

    Step 2

    To make the marinade for the mushrooms, put 6 Tbsp. canola oil, 3 Tbsp. honey, 3 Tbsp. light soy sauce, 6 garlic cloves, crushed, two 1½" pieces ginger (1½ oz.), grated, and ¼ tsp. salt into a large bowl and stir. Tear the larger mushrooms from 1¾ lb. oyster mushrooms in half; keep the small ones intact. Place all mushrooms in bowl with marinade. Mix well with your hands until mushrooms are coated.

    Step 3

    Thread mushrooms onto eight skewers and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown and the edges are starting to catch. While mushrooms are baking, prepare the salad and mayo.

  2. Salad

    Step 4

    Cut the stems of 8½ oz. bok choy or choy sum into ½"-thick slices and the leaves into 1"-thick slices. Put into a serving bowl along with 1 celery stalk, sliced into thin half-moons, and ½ English cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons. In a smaller bowl, make the dressing by combining 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil, 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce, and 1 red Thai chile, finely chopped.

  3. Mayo and Assembly

    Step 5

    Put ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp. rice vinegar, and ¾ oz. fresh chives, finely chopped, into another small bowl and mix, leaving some chives to decorate the top.

    Step 6

    Just before serving, whisk dressing and toss through the salad. To serve, place cooked jasmine rice in a shallow bowl, drizzle with toasted sesame oil and sprinkle with salt. Put skewers on a platter for people to help themselves, and serve alongside the salad and chive mayo, with ½ cup salted peanuts, finely chopped, sprinkled over the top.

Cover of Dinner cookbook with multicolor forks
Excerpted from DINNER by Meera Sodha, copyright © 2025.  Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photographs by David Loftus. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.
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