Variations on Filipino Adobo: Mushrooms

This is a recipe that I will have to develop further. I sort of knew that mushrooms won't really work as the main ingredient of adobo, but I went ahead and tried anyway. Firstly, I am not a fan of the texture of stewed mushrooms, but this could be from the types of mushrooms I used - king trumpet, maitake, and buna-shimeji mushrooms. Secondly, since this is a vegan recipe and is a relatively quick cook, it lacks the flavor development that happens when something is stewed for a long time. Thirdly, I only used about a tablespoon of brown sugar for sweetness, but I think it needs another form of sweetness - perhaps from oyster sauce (but it wouln't make the dish vegan anymore). I personally cannot eat a lot of it, but the dish is good with jasmine rice. I can see the recipe being modified further for steamed buns if I add crumbled tofu, scallions, honey, and sesame oil. Or maybe even as empanada filling. For now, I'm gonna have to mix these mushrooms with other quick stir fry dishes. Here's the recipe if you want to try it: (Feel free to cut the recipe in half.)

• maitake mushrooms, broken into large segments, 2 packages
• buna-shimeji mushrooms, broken into large segments, 2 packages
• king trumpet mushrooms, cut into thirds and torn into large chunks, 1 package
• shallots, large, minced, 2 each
• ginger, 1-inch knob, minced
• garlic cloves, minced, 6 each
• soy sauce, 1/4 cup
• water, 1/4 cup
• unseasoned rice vinegar, 1/4 cup
• white miso, 1 tablespoon
• bay leaves, 2 each
• whole black peppercorns, cracked, 1 tablespoon
• grapeseed oil, as needed
• chives, minced, to taste
• parsley, minced, to taste

In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar and white miso until cohesive. Set aside.

In a wok or a sautoir, heat oil over high heat. Saute maitake mushrooms until at least one side has browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Do the same for the rest of the mushrooms in batches. King trumpet mushroom will take the longest to brown as they release a lot of water.

Add a little more oil in the pan and saute shallots, ginger, and garlic until fragrant and shallots are translucent.

Pour in the sauce mixture and add bay leaves and peppercorns. Simmer for a minute and then add the mushrooms back in along with the 1/4 cup water. Simmer until the sauce reduces into gravy consistency, around 10 minutes. Lower the heat and mix in brown sugar. Taste and add more sugar if you like. Turn off heat and mix in parsley and chives.