Cold Seafood Mushroom with Okra

 Cold seafood mushroom and okra is a fresh, light and healthy traditional Chinese cold dish.

 Crisp and smooth okra matches tender, refreshing seafood mushrooms, mixed with a savory and tangy dressing.

 It is low in calories, rich in nutrition, appetizing and refreshing, perfectly suitable for summer meals and daily light side dishes.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

200g fresh seafood mushrooms

150g okra

Aromatics

3 garlic cloves (minced)

A small amount of chopped scallions

Chopped coriander (optional)

Seasonings

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1.5 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

Half teaspoon white sugar

A pinch of fine salt

A little white pepper

Sesame oil

Chili oil (optional for spicy flavor)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Clean and trim ingredients

   Cut off the root ends of seafood mushrooms, tear them into small strips, and rinse thoroughly with clean water.

   Wash the okra, cut off the hard stalks on both ends, and set aside.
2. Blanch the ingredients

   Boil an appropriate amount of water in a pot. Add a little salt and a drop of cooking oil to the boiling water.

   First put the okra into the water and blanch for 2 minutes until it turns emerald green. Take it out and soak in cold ice water to lock the crisp texture and bright color.

   Then add seafood mushrooms into the same boiling water, blanch for 1 minute to remove the raw taste, then drain and cool completely.
3. Cut ingredients for mixing

   Take the cooled okra out, drain the water, and cut into oblique sections or round slices.

   Squeeze out excess water from the blanched seafood mushrooms to prevent the dish from being too watery.
4. Make the cold dressing

   Prepare a small bowl, add minced garlic, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, salt and white pepper.

   Stir fully until all seasonings are well dissolved and blended.
5. Mix all ingredients together

   Put the cut okra and seafood mushrooms into a large mixing bowl.

   Pour the prepared seasoning sauce over the ingredients, add chopped scallions and coriander.

   Drizzle with sesame oil and chili oil if you like spicy food, then toss evenly.
6. Serve and enjoy

   Let it marinate for 3–5 minutes to fully absorb the flavor. Transfer to a plate and serve cold.

Cooking Tips

1. Adding salt and oil when blanching can keep okra bright green without darkening.
2. Do not blanch okra and mushrooms for too long, otherwise they will lose their crisp taste.
3. Ice water soaking is the key to making okra crisp and refreshing.
4. The ratio of vinegar and sugar can be adjusted according to personal taste preference.
5. This dish tastes better after being chilled in the refrigerator for a while.

Seafood Braised Chicken

Seafood Braised Chicken is a rich, savory classic Chinese home dish. Tender chicken stewed with fresh seafood, paired with soft vegetables and a thick, fragrant sauce. 

The savory chicken blends perfectly with natural seafood umami, creating a hearty, flavorful one-pot meal loved by the whole family.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

300g fresh chicken thighs

150g peeled shrimp

120g squid

80g shelled clams

Side Ingredients

Half an onion

1 potato

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

5 garlic cloves

3 slices of ginger

2 scallions

Seasonings

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon cooking wine

1 tsp rock sugar

A pinch of salt

White pepper powder

Cooking oil

A little starch water (for thickening)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep and marinate chicken

   Wash chicken thighs and cut into bite-sized chunks. Drain excess water, add cooking wine, a little salt and white pepper. Mix well and marinate for 15 minutes to remove odor and enhance tenderness.
2. Process seafood

   Peel and devein shrimp; clean squid and cut into strips. Rinse clams thoroughly to remove sand. Blanch all seafood in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and set aside to reduce fishiness.
3. Prepare vegetables

   Peel potatoes and cut into chunks; slice onions, cut bell peppers into pieces. Mince garlic and ginger, chop scallions into sections for later use.
4. Sauté base aroma

   Heat cooking oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic and onion, stir-fry until fragrant and slightly caramelized.
5. Braise chicken

   Add marinated chicken chunks, stir-fry until the surface turns golden brown. Pour in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and oyster sauce, stir evenly to coat the chicken with sauce. Add potato pieces and hot water to cover all ingredients. Add rock sugar, bring to a boil, then turn to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add seafood and vegetables

   Put blanched shrimp, squid and clams into the pot. Add green and red bell peppers, continue to simmer on low heat for 5 minutes to fully blend the seafood and chicken flavor.
7. Thicken and finish

   Adjust salt to taste. Pour in a small amount of starch water, stir gently to thicken the soup. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with scallion sections, and serve hot in the pot.

Cooking Tips

1. Chicken thighs are more tender and juicy than breast meat, ideal for long braising.
2. Seafood should not be cooked too long to avoid tough meat and lost umami.
3. Adding a small piece of rock sugar can balance the savory taste and brighten the dish color.
4. Keep the heat steady during slow braising to ensure the chicken is soft and easy to chew.
5. You can add mushrooms or tofu to enrich the taste and layers.