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    Home » Seafood » Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushrooms

    Published: Jan 21, 2021 · Last Modified: Feb 22, 2021 by Jeannette ·

    Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushrooms

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    Ring in the Lunar New Year with a Chinese delicacy – Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushrooms! Cooked low and slow in a garlic oyster sauce, this dish is melt-your-mouth tender. It’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner yet impressive for a family banquet!

    If you love this style of cooking, try it with chicken, mushrooms, abalone or tofu!

    Braised sea cucumber in a pot

    A Chinese New Year Delicacy

    Our family saves the best dishes for special occasions, and Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushrooms is one of them. It’s a beloved Cantonese way to welcome the new year, filled with gorgeous savory mushrooms and velvety soft cabbage.

    It always amazes me how the simplest of recipes can have such depth and be the heroes of a Chinese feast. This is one of them!

    Perhaps it’s because it’s made by Grandma (whose cooking I will adore for the rest of my life), or because a pot of Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushrooms means family time around the dinner table.

    Regardless of what the reason is, there’s one thing that I know for sure: it’s DELICIOUS.

    Slow cooking it gives the oyster sauce a chance to infuse into the ingredients and become a savory sticky glaze. This creates a melt-in-your-mouth experience that is worth waiting 365 days for!

    Everything you need to know about sea cucumber

    Washed sea cucumber in a colander

    What it is

    Sea cucumbers are classified in the same group as starfish and sea urchins, making them a type of echinoderm. They have a long and tube-like body (similar to a cucumber) and have retractable tentacles all around the mouth.

    There are different colors, shapes and sizes for this echinoderm and you’ll generally find them living along the ocean floor.

    Taste

    This ingredient has the trait of most Chinese delicacies – there is barely any taste and the texture is highly gelatinous. These qualities can be found in other ingredients like snow fungus, hashima and fish maw.

    At first, sea cucumbers might have a faint smell of the sea, but will eventually take on the flavor of the sauces that it’s cooked in. When you bite into it, you’ll find that it is rather springy but it can also melt in your mouth depending on how long it was cooked for.

    Health Benefits

    The marine animal is potent with vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients, including magnesium, riboflavin and protein while being low in fat. This potentially translates to better heart and liver health.

    According to some Chinese people, its helfty price tag is partly because of the fact that the ingredient is considered an aphrodisiac!

    However, it is also said that it has blood thinning properties, which is not recommended for people already on blood-thinning medication.

    So unless your health doesn’t allow you to eat this Braised Sea Cucumber dish, I say go for it. Especially when you’re getting some fall apart tender goodness!

    Braised sea cucumber in a pot with chopsticks holding a piece up

    Why this recipe works

    • Using shiitake gives the Braised Sea Cucumber and Mushrooms dish a deep earthy flavor full of umami.
    • Oyster sauce is perfect for a rich savory taste that complements the braising technique.
    • Adding Chinese cabbage keeps the sweetness subtle from natural ingredients.

    What you’ll need

    Mushroom water in a bowl along with sea cucumber in a colander, oyster sauce, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, Shaoxing rice wine and Chinese baggage in dishes or bowls

    About the ingredients

    We get all of the sauces and dehydrated ingredients from Asian supermarkets. The sea cucumbers can be found fresh in seafood markets or from Chinese specialty dried goods stores. They’re sold dehydrated or pre-prepared in the frozen area.

    For this recipe, we used the pre-prepared frozen ones that have already been cleaned. They come in a variety of sizes and prices, so pick the ones that suit your preference.

    How to make this recipe

    Sea cucumber being washed under running tap water held by hands holding a cleaver

    Soak then Chinese cabbage in cool salted water, then rinse and repeat 3 times until the impurities have been washed away. Let it dry while you use a small knife to gently scrape the sea cucumber under running cold tap water.

    Cabbage cut into segments on a chopping board with a cleaver

    Cut the cabbage into 4cm (1.6″) segments along its height.

    Sea cucumber cut into segments on a chopping board with a cleaver

    Do the same with the sea cucumbers.

    Chinese cabbagge pieces in a pot

    Lay the cabbage on the bottom of a large pot and add 2 US cup (470mL) mushroom water in. Let it simmer on a low-medium heat for 10 minutes.

    Mushrooms and sea cucumber in a pot of water

    Turn the heat up to high, then add the shiitake mushrooms, sea cucumbers and remaining mushroom water into the pot.

    Oyster sauce and seasoning in a pot with mushrooms and sea cucumber

    Season with the sugar, chicken bouillon powder and oyster sauce. Stir well and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.

    Garlic cloves in a saucepan frying in oil near a pair of chopsticks

    Meanwhile, heat up the oil on high and cook the garlic cloves for 20 seconds or until lightly brown.

    Braised sea cucumber cooking in a pot

    Pour the cooked garlic, oil and Shaoxing rice wine into the pot and stir to combine.

    Black moss over mushrooms and sea cucumber in a pot

    Lay the black moss on top and cook on a low-medium heat for another 30 minutes or until everything is soft.

    Serve immediately as is with rice!

    Recipe FAQs

    I’m using dried sea cucumber instead. How long should I cook it for?

    Make sure they’ve been soaked for a few days and thoroughly cleaned before cooking. You’re looking at the same cooking time as the ones we’ve used.

    Why does my sea cucumber have a strange taste to it?

    They need to be properly cleaned, otherwise there may be a tingly, almost chemical-like taste. Change the soaking water often if you are buying the dried versions and scrape the impurities off the surface as much as you can.

    Tips for the best results

    • Braise it low and slow. Keep the simmering to just a bubble and let it cook for longer for a more tender and infused meal.
    • Don’t cut the sea cucumber too small. When overcooked, they can become incredibly soft to the point where you’d be best off eating it with a spoon. Keep them larger so they can withstand the heat and hold their shape better.
    • Use abalone sauce. If you want to take the flavor up a notch, substitute the oyster sauce with abalone sauce.
    Braised sea cucumber in a pot surrounded by a bowl of rice, a garlic bulb and mushrooms

    Make it a Lunar New Year banquet!

    • Start the party with Steamed Oysters with Ginger and Shallots and Seafood Rolls.
    • A bowl of Fish Maw Soup or Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Soup (佛跳墙) will warm the body up.
    • Every new year is welcomed with Chinese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Shallots for prosperity.
    • E-Fu Noodles with Roast Duck is served for longevity.
    • Stir Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic adds some green on the menu.
    • Our family loves having noodles or rice with crispy Salted Egg Prawns (牛油黃金虾).
    • Finish it all off with a light Snow Fungus Dessert Soup (雪耳糖水) or Silky Egg Pudding (冰花燉蛋)!

    Want more home cooked recipes?

    Subscribe to our email list and be the first to get recipe updates as soon as they’re posted. You can also follow Wok & Kin on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!

    Braised sea cucumber in a pot

    Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushrooms

    Ring in the Lunar New Year with Braised Sea Cucumber with Mushrooms! Cooked slowly, it's easy for a weeknight dinner yet impressive for a banquet!
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 268kcal
    Author: Jeannette

    Ingredients

    • 1 kg / 2.2 lb sea cucumber (we get it pre-cleaned from Chinese specialty dried good stores)
    • 80 g / 0.18 lb dehydrated shiitake mushrooms
    • 750 mL / 3 US cup water (used to soak the mushrooms. Keep this water for braising)
    • 350 g / 0.77 lb Chinese cabbage
    • 30 g / 0.66 lb black moss (rehydrated; we get it from Asian supermarkets)
    • 4 cloves garlic (lightly crushed)
    • 4 tbsp cooking oil
    • 6 tbsp oyster sauce (or to taste)
    • 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
    • 1 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
    • 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder

    Instructions

    • Soak then Chinese cabbage in cool salted water, then rinse and repeat 3 times until the impurities have been washed away. Let it dry while you use a small knife to gently scrape the sea cucumber under running cold tap water.
    • Cut the cabbage into 4cm (1.6") segments along its height.
    • Do the same with the sea cucumbers.
    • Lay the cabbage on the bottom of a large pot and add 2 US cup (470mL) mushroom water in. Let it simmer on a low-medium heat for 10 minutes.
    • Turn the heat up to high, then add the shiitake mushrooms, sea cucumbers and remaining mushroom water into the pot.
    • Season with the sugar, chicken bouillon powder and oyster sauce. Stir well and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
    • Meanwhile, heat up the oil on high and cook the garlic cloves for 20 seconds or until lightly brown.
    • Pour the cooked garlic, oil and Shaoxing rice wine into the pot and stir to combine.
    • Lay the black moss on top and cook on a low-medium heat for another 30 minutes or until everything is soft.
    • Serve immediately as is with rice!

    Notes

    • Braise it low and slow. Keep the simmering to just a bubble and let it cook for longer for a more tender and infused meal.
    • Don't cut the sea cucumber too small. When overcooked, they can become incredibly soft to the point where you'd be best off eating it with a spoon. Keep them larger so they can withstand the heat and hold their shape better.
    • Use abalone sauce. If you want to take the flavor up a notch, substitute the oyster sauce with abalone sauce.
    • We get all of the sauces and dehydrated ingredients from Asian supermarkets. The sea cucumbers can be found fresh in seafood markets or dried from Chinese specialty dried goods stores.
    • Sea cucumbers are sold dehydrated or pre-prepared in the frozen area and come in a variety of sizes and prices, so pick the ones that suit your preference.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 529mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 889IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag me TODAY!If you recreated this authentic recipe, I’d love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @wokandkin.

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    « Steamed Oysters with Ginger and Shallots
    Ginger Scallion Lobster (蔥薑龍蝦) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

      January 22, 2021 at 9:44 am

      5 stars
      This sounds like such a delicious dish – the perfect way to ring in Chinese New Year! That sauce sounds incredible!

      Reply
      • Kim says

        March 10, 2023 at 3:51 am

        5 stars
        Tried this and it turned out delicious!

        Reply
        • Jeannette says

          March 10, 2023 at 9:50 pm

          Hi, Kim! That’s wonderful to hear! Glad it worked out well for you. 😀

          Reply
    2. Beth says

      January 22, 2021 at 10:09 am

      5 stars
      This looks incredible and sounds delicious! I can’t wait to give this a try! So excited!

      Reply
      • Jeannette says

        January 24, 2021 at 11:57 pm

        Thanks, Beth!

        Reply
    3. Elaine says

      January 22, 2021 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      This one dish that I haven’t tried yet, so I can only imagine the taste, but I bet it is delicious. Easy to follow instructions, too!

      Reply
      • Jeannette says

        January 25, 2021 at 12:00 am

        Thanks, Elaine!

        Reply
    4. Wanda says

      January 22, 2021 at 11:18 am

      5 stars
      As soon as I can figure out where to find sea cucumbers I’m totally trying this recipe. Looks fantastic!

      Reply
      • Jeannette says

        January 24, 2021 at 11:59 pm

        I hope you find it soon! Enjoy!

        Reply
    5. Ashley says

      January 22, 2021 at 11:27 am

      5 stars
      I learned so much from reading this recipe! I have never used sea cucumber before but would love to try it!

      Reply
      • Jeannette says

        January 25, 2021 at 12:00 am

        That’s wonderful to hear, Ashley! I hope you get to try it soon!

        Reply
    6. Jianzhu Yang says

      January 29, 2021 at 1:23 pm

      5 stars
      I find your recipes are all incredible, some are new for me, and it’s so excited to try it soon.

      Reply
      • Jeannette says

        January 30, 2021 at 8:58 am

        Thanks, Jianzhu! Welcome and I hope you enjoy them all as much as we do!

        Reply
    7. Elaine says

      February 09, 2021 at 1:02 pm

      I recently bought dried sea cucumber. In the recipe, is the 1kg of sea cucumber after its been rehydrated? I ‘m not sure how much dried sea cucumber I should use/weigh out.

      Reply
      • Jeannette says

        February 09, 2021 at 6:23 pm

        Hi, Elaine! Yes, the 1kg is after it has been rehydrated. You can always rehydrate all of it, drain the water and see how heavy it is. Any leftovers can be cleaned and left in the freezer to be used later 🙂

        Reply
    5 from 11 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Braised sea cucumber in a pot
    Braised sea cucumber in a pot with chopsticks holding a piece up
    Braised sea cucumber in a pot surrounded by a bowl of rice, a garlic bulb and mushrooms
    Braised sea cucumber in a pot with chopsticks holding one up
    Braised sea cucumber in a pot

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