Black Fungus and Pork Stir-Fry

Rinse 15 g dried black fungus and soak in plenty of cold water in a clean bowl for about 30–60 minutes, until fully expanded with no hard centers. Rinse again, trim hard bases and tear into 2–3 cm pieces. Cook promptly.

During the last 10 minutes of soaking, mix 200 g pork slices with one teaspoon light soy sauce, then one teaspoon starch and finally 5 ml oil. Marinate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stem, deseed and chop one green bell pepper and slice three garlic cloves.

Bring plenty of fresh water to a boil in the wok and add all the soaked fungus. Once the water returns to a boil, cook for two minutes, then lift out and drain well. Discard the water and dry the wok before frying.

Heat the wok with 10 ml oil. Add the marinated pork and quickly separate the slices over high heat. Stir-fry for about one to two minutes until the surfaces turn opaque and the slices separate. Transfer to a clean bowl; finish cooking after returning them to the wok. Work in batches if crowded.

Add the remaining 5 ml oil to the same wok. Fry the garlic for about 10–15 seconds until fragrant without browning. Add all the pepper and drained fungus; stir-fry over high heat for about two minutes, until the pepper is bright green and crisp-tender and the fungus is hot. Drain visibly wet fungus before adding.

Return all the pork and its collected juices. Add the remaining two teaspoons light soy sauce and toss over high heat for about one minute until lightly coated with no watery pool. Cook the pork fully through, with no raw pink centers; check the thickest slice reaches 75°C. If watery, move the food aside, briefly reduce the liquid, then toss and plate.