Moo Shu with Mandarin Pancakes

Happy New Year! Man what a weekend. Since this is a blog about food, not debauchery, I won’t go into too many details. Let’s just say I spent most of yesterday curled up in the fetal position dreaming of Jewish recipes to make you in 2011. You win! Any of you out there have New Year’s resolutions? Mine is to blog weekly. Maybe yours could be to read my blog weekly. Just a suggestion. Anyhoo, onto the food.

I spent Christmas just like any good Jew would. Gambling away my allowance money, catching a movie (True Grit was fab!) and noshing on Chinese food. Christians can keep their eggnog and ham; it just doesn’t get much more Jewish than being jealous Santa doesn’t visit you Chinese food on Christmas! Traditionally, we each pick a favorite dish and share – Mom gets her steamed chicken and broccoli, I go for moo shu myself. And we all try not to eat too many of those tasty little fried noodles.  After eating, we complain how we are so full, couldn’t possibly eat another bite, and why did you let me eat all that?? Until about an hour later when we dive into the leftovers. This year, I wanted to one up tradition and make my own moo shu and pancakes. I was surprised and rather impressed with myself at how easy and authentic tasting this recipe is! I think we have a winner in this recipe- and a new tradition to boot.

What are your favorite family traditions?

Hereis all you need to make your own moo shu. The protein is up to you. Beef, chicken, pork, shrimp or tofu would be delish as well! I also went full cheapskate and stole some soy sauce packets from work since I didn’t need much. I trust my secret is safe with you, friend.

My oil is parve!

First, combine soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch together. Add your protein, mix it up, and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning occasionally. This may be the grossest photo I have posted on my blog, but don’t worry there are lots more posts to come and surely much grosser photos!

While your protein is marinating, take your dried mushrooms and combine in a bowl with boiling water. I found these suckers after a confusing 15 minutes in the ethnic food aisle. Let them stand for 20 minutes, drain, and slice thin.

Then chop up ginger and garlic. After your protein is all marinated in deliciousness, slice into thin strips, heat oil in a wok (or if you don’t have a wok, ’cause I sure don’t, any non stick pan will do) and stir fry away. Set protein aside, and add eggs to the pan. After your eggs are set, add them to the protein. Add mushrooms, ginger and garlic to the pan and cook until they start to smell awesome. While the ‘shrooms are cooking, chop up your scallions. Add veggies, sprouts, half the scallions and one tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir, and cook until tender.

Then add the eggs, protein and hoisin sauce, and cook until heated through. Stir in the remaining scallions

Holy delicious! Cheng-Du may never see this face again.

But what is moo shu without pancakes? Warning, this sounds simple but is kind of a pain in the tuchas. Let’s just say I got my arm workout for the day. Boil water. Put flour in a bowl, and make a well in the center.

Pour water in the well, and stir the mixture until lumpy. Form into a ball, and knead until smooth or, in my case, you get tired of kneading. Cover with a towel and let sit for 30 minutes. Roll dough into a 10-inch log. Cut the log into 1-inch pieces, and cover with saran wrap. Take one piece of dough, keeping the others covered. Cut the piece in half, and roll each piece into a 3-inch circle. Or in my case, a circle-esque shape. Closer to a rhombus.

Put a bit of sesame oil on each, and place pieces together oil side in. Then roll out to a 6 inch circle, cover and set aside. Repeat with other pieces. Cook a pair of pancakes on medium heat in a pan until they feel dry, flipping once. Separate pancakes while still hot. There you go!

Pretty tasty Christmas dinner if you ask me!

What Is Moo Shu?

Moo shu is a stir fry of thinly sliced protein, scrambled egg, shiitake mushrooms and shredded cabbage, seasoned with ginger, garlic and hoisin, then rolled up in thin mandarin pancakes at the table. It is a northern Chinese dish that became a Chinese American restaurant staple.

The name comes from the wood ear mushrooms and scrambled egg in the original, said to resemble the yellow blossoms of the osmanthus flower. What makes it fun to eat is the assembly: you smear hoisin on a pancake, pile on the filling, and roll.

The protein is up to you. Beef, chicken or tofu are all delicious, which is exactly how this becomes a dish for a kosher kitchen.

Why Jews Eat Chinese Food on Christmas

The tradition is real and it is old. On the Lower East Side around 1900, Jewish and Chinese immigrant neighborhoods sat side by side, and Chinese restaurants were among the very few places open on December 25th. They were also non Christian spaces, which made them comfortable, and the food contained no dairy mixed with meat, which made it feel accessible even to somewhat observant families.

A century later it is a full blown institution: Chinese food and a movie, every December 25th, in Jewish households across the country.

If you want the whole spread, I rounded up 40 Chinese food recipes for exactly this occasion.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Protein. A pound of boneless chicken, beef or tofu, sliced thin. Marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch, which is what gives it that velvety restaurant texture.
• Dried shiitake mushrooms. Eight of them, rehydrated in boiling water. Dried, not fresh, because the soaking concentrates their flavor.
• Eggs. Four, scrambled and then broken up through the stir fry.
• Shredded cabbage. Four cups. A bagged coleslaw mix is a completely legitimate shortcut.
• Bean sprouts and scallions. For crunch and freshness at the end.
• Ginger and garlic. Minced fresh, not from a jar.
• Hoisin sauce. Three tablespoons in the pan, plus more for smearing on the pancakes.
• Soy sauce and sesame oil. Low sodium soy so you can control the salt.

How to Make Moo Shu

1. Marinate the protein. Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and the cornstarch, add your protein, and refrigerate for an hour, mixing occasionally. Then slice into thin strips.
2. Soak the mushrooms. Cover the dried shiitakes with boiling water for 20 minutes, drain, and slice thin.
3. Stir fry the protein. Heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
4. Scramble the eggs. Another teaspoon of oil, cook the eggs about 2 minutes, and add them to the protein.
5. Cook the aromatics and vegetables. Mushrooms, ginger and garlic for about 2 minutes, then the cabbage, sprouts, half the scallions and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Cook until tender.
6. Bring it together. Return the eggs and protein, add the hoisin, and cook until heated through, breaking up the egg. Stir in the remaining scallions.

How to Make Mandarin Pancakes

Fair warning, this is the fiddly part. The trick that makes it manageable is rolling the pancakes in oiled pairs, so each one comes out paper thin without you having to roll paper thin dough.

1. Boil water. Put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center.
2. Pour the water into the well and stir until lumpy. Form a ball and knead until smooth. Cover with a towel and rest 30 minutes.
3. Roll the dough into a 10 inch log, cut into 1 inch pieces, and keep them covered.
4. Cut one piece in half and roll each into a 3 inch circle. Brush sesame oil on each and press them together, oiled sides facing.
5. Roll the pair out to a 6 inch circle. Repeat with the rest.
6. Cook each pair over medium heat until they feel dry, flipping once. Peel the two apart while still hot.

In a hurry? Warm flour tortillas will absolutely do the job, and no one at the table will stage an intervention.

Tips for the Best Moo Shu

• Do not skip the cornstarch marinade. That is the velveting step, and it is why restaurant stir fry meat is so tender.
• Get the pan hot and keep things moving. Stir fry is fast cooking. A crowded, cool pan steams the vegetables instead.
• Prep everything before you start. Once the wok is hot there is no time to go chop scallions.
• Use dried shiitakes, not fresh. The soaking liquid alone is worth it, and the flavor is far deeper.
• Separate the pancakes while hot. Let them cool stuck together and they will tear.

Storage and Reheating

The filling keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and reheats well in a hot pan. It does not freeze especially well, since the cabbage and sprouts go limp.

The pancakes are the freezer friendly part. Stack them with parchment between each one, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat by steaming for a few minutes or wrapping in a damp towel and microwaving briefly.

Moo Shu FAQ

What is moo shu made of?

Thinly sliced protein, scrambled egg, shiitake mushrooms and shredded cabbage, stir fried with ginger, garlic, soy and hoisin, then wrapped in thin mandarin pancakes. Classic versions also use wood ear mushrooms and day lily buds.

Can I make moo shu kosher?

Easily. Skip the pork and use chicken, beef or tofu, all of which work beautifully in the marinade. Use certified kosher soy sauce and hoisin, and you have a moo shu that belongs at any table.

What are mandarin pancakes?

Thin, soft, unleavened flour and hot water pancakes, similar to a very thin flour tortilla. They are steamed or dry cooked rather than fried, and they exist to be wrapped around the filling.

Can I use tortillas instead of mandarin pancakes?

Yes. Small warm flour tortillas are the standard shortcut and taste great. They are a little thicker and chewier than the real thing, but they hold a filling just fine.

What is the difference between moo shu and lo mein?

Lo mein is a noodle dish, tossed together and eaten with chopsticks. Moo shu has no noodles at all: it is a stir fry you wrap in pancakes at the table, more like a Chinese taco.

What vegetables go in moo shu?

Shredded cabbage is the backbone, with bean sprouts and scallions alongside. Carrots, snow peas, bamboo shoots and napa cabbage are all fair game. Use whatever shreds well and cooks fast.

Why is it called moo shu?

The name refers to the osmanthus flower. The scrambled egg and dark mushrooms in the dish are said to look like its small yellow blossoms scattered among dark branches.

Making a whole Chinese Christmas dinner? Start with matzah ball soup if you want to be truly on brand, or go browse those 40 Chinese food recipes.

Moo Shu

Amy

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 pound boneless chicken beef, etc
• 8 large dried shiitake mushrooms
• 3 teaspoons sesame oil
• 4 eggs beaten
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 4 cups shredded cabbage or vegetables
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 bunch scallions
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Instructions

 

• Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and cornstarch with protein. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, mixing occasionally. After an hour, remove protein and slice into thin strips.
• Mix dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl with boiling water. Let sit for 20 minutes, and slice into thin strips.
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan over medium heat, add protein and stir-fry until brown, about 3 minutes. Remove protein from the pan.
• Add another teaspoon of oil, add eggs and cook for 2 minutes. Add to protein.
• Add shiitake mushrooms, ginger and garlic and cook until soft, about two minutes. Add shredded vegetables, sprouts, half the scallions and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Mix up, and cook until tender, and meat is cooked to desired way about 3 minutes.
• Add eggs, protein and hoisin sauce and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Make sure to break up the eggs. Stir in the other half of scallions.

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Mandarin Pancakes

Makes 20

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

1. Boil water.
2. Put flour in bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the boiling water.
3. Stir up the mixture with a spoon until dough is lumpy.
4. Roll dough into ball and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with towel and put aside for 30 minutes.
5. Roll dough into a 10-inch long log. Cut into 1-inch pieces and cover with plastic wrap.
6. Cut each piece of dough in half, keeping other pieces covered. Roll each piece into 3-inch circle and brush with a little sesame oil. Put the two dough circles together, oil-side in.
7. Roll the pair of circles out into a 6 inch circle. Cover and set aside. Repeat with the rest of the dough, keeping other pieces covered.
8. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook pancakes, one pair at a time, until they are dry, flipping once.
9. Remove pancakes from pan and separate into two pancakes while still hot.  Serve immediately, or reheat in the microwave under a damp towel.