This Recipe is part of the 5 No-Cook Dishes Raw Food at Home Menu
Satay is best known as a Thai or Indonesian dish in which pieces of meat are marinated, skewered on bamboo sticks, grilled, and served with a dipping sauce or relish. For this satay, as with many of our recipes, we use king oyster mushrooms for their meaty texture, and sake, which goes well with the other flavors, as a base for the marinade. Galangal root is a spicier, more fragrant relative of ginger root, which is a good substitute if you can’t find galangal. Look for galangal root in most fine Asian markets along with many of the other ingredients used here, such as Thai chilis, Thai basil, and yuzu juice.
Unlike many raw dishes, this one contains no nuts whatsoever, which makes it particularly light, with bright, fresh flavor from the citrus.
Equipment
High-speed blender, dehydrator, bamboo sticks for serving
Oyster Mushrooms
2 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2-inch knob of galangal root, peeled and coarsely chopped
Zest of 2 oranges
Zest of 2 limes
1 cup sake
6 Thai chilis, seeded
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/3 cup sesame oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sea salt
8 cups (about 2 pounds) king oyster mushrooms, cut in 1-inch pieces
Directions
1. In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients except the mushrooms until very smooth. Strain the mixture through a chinois.
2. Toss the marinade and mushrooms in a large bowl until mushrooms are evenly coated. Allow the mushrooms to marinate for at least 15 minutes to fully absorb the flavor.
3. Spread the mushrooms on a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate until their texture is chewy and they look slightly roasted, about 2 hours.
Bok Choy
1/2 cup nama shoyu
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup Thai basil, cut into thin strips
8 heads of baby bok choy, separated into individual leaves
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into long, thin strips
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the nama shoyu, sesame oil, and Thai basil.
2. Gently toss the baby bok choy leaves and red bell peppers in the mixture and marinate for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Pickled Asian Pear
3 Asian pears, cored and cut into paper-thin slices
2 cups brown rice vinegar (plus more to cover, if necessary)
1/2 cup yuzu juice
Directions
1. Place the ingredients in a quart-size glass jar, or other container. If the pears are not entirely covered, add enough brown rice vinegar to completely cover them.
2. Seal the container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours in order to pickle.
Avocado-Coriander Puree
1 small shallot, peeled and chopped
3 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 1/2 cups filtered water
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
Directions
1. In a high-speed blender, puree all the ingredients until smooth. Add more water as necessary for a smooth and creamy sauce. Refrigerate immediately.
To Serve
Skewer the marinated mushrooms on thin bamboo sticks. Spread a pool of Avocado-Coriander Puree on each plate. Divide the bok choy among the plates, and lean the skewers on the side. Make a small pile of the pickled pear on the side. Alternatively, the puree can also be served in a small dish for dipping.
Serves 6 to 8
Excerpted from Living Raw Food by Sarma Melngailis. Copyright © 2009 by 77 Lucky Cows, Inc. Excerpted by permission of HarperCollins. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the book now.