About the recipe

In China you would get a series of "leng cai" i.e. cold appetisers that consist or rare or prized vegetables, either pickled, steamed or bathed in a variety of Chinese marinades. This is one of my favourite recipes to make and my version of a grand "leng cai". Chinese lotus roots are one of my most favourite Chinese ingredients, they are the underground stem of the lotus flower plant. The knobbly nodules when sliced across looks like the spout of a watering can. They taste crunchy and delicious with a slight water-chestnut-bamboo flavour and fragrance. You can buy the lotus root in the chilled section of the Chinese supermarket, vacuum packed. You need to peel them and blanch them to clean them and the slice finely using a mandolin - great in soups, salads and stir-fries. The woodear fungus is a superfood! It has many nutrients and the Chinese believe it is a great detoxifier and aids weight loss! They come dried and you need to pre-soak them in some warm water to rehydrate them, then slice them. These are also great in soups, salads and stir-fries and give a delicious crunchy texture. Both these ingredients are tossed in a simple soy, sesame oil, rice vinegar dressing - my favourite - for a salty, sour, nutty flavour. You cant get healthier than this!

Steps

• You will only need "2 knobs" out of 1 whole packet of lotus root (save the rest for a stir fry), peeled and blanched in hot water and then sliced using a mandolin.
• Pre-soak the woodear fungus in warm water for 20 minutes then finely slice.
• Dress in light soy, sesame oil, rice vinegar and chill for 15 minutes. Then toss in finely chopped coriander before garnish and drizzle with some chilli oil.

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