Red Cooked Chinese Wheat Gluten - cooking recipe

Ingredients

25 pieces prepared gluten
1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoot
12 small black dried Chinese mushrooms, presoak
1 cup hot water
4 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup mushroom liquid, see note
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

Preparation

Drain the boiled gluten. rinse and drain bamboo. Pour the water over the mushrooms and soak for a hour then squeeze them over soaking bowl and save liquid. Rinse, squeeze dry [not over bowl] and destem. Cut into 1/2 inch wide slices.
Place mushrooms, bamboo, and gluten in piles on work tray. [NOTE] Measure out 3/4 cup of mushroom soaking liquid without residue.
Heat wok or large skillet over high heat until hot. Add 1 tbsp oil and swirl heating for 30 seconds. Scrape in shoots. Stir vigorously for 1 minute and extract their water. Pour into dish.
Wipe pan. Heat until hot. Add rest of oil. Scatter in mushroom and gluten. Stir rapidly 30 seconds to coat with oil. Lower heat and add sherry, soy, and sugar. Return bamboo and stir briskly to season. Add mushroom liquid. Even out contents, turn heat low, simmer 30 minutes.
Uncover, raise heat to make liquid sizzle and stir rapidly 10 seconds. Add the dark seseame oil, give a few fast folds and pour into hot dish.
Variations: You can use deep fried gluten pieces. You can add 1 star anise, broken.