Hou See Soong

4 ounces dried oysters
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 pound ground pork
2 large dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked, finely diced
1/4 cup minced bamboo shoots, finely diced
1/4 cup water chestnuts, finely diced
1/4 cup celery, finely diced
1/4 cup green onion, minced
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
1/8 to 1/4 cup of crushed roasted peanuts (optional)
Lettuce leaves
Hoisin sauce, for dipping (optional)

Sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoons soaking water from oysters
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Soak oysters in water at least 6 hours, or overnight. Drain well, reserving 2 tablespoons of soaking water. Remove any stringy parts, then dice.

Combine sauce ingredients; set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Add pork and stir-fry until no longer pink. Stir in diced oysters, then bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, celery and green onion. Add sauce; stir-fry 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve on a platter, garnished with cilantro and peanuts, with lettuce on the side. Spoon mixture onto a lettuce leaf, roll up and dip in hoisin.

Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving, without hoisin or peanuts: 270 calories, 17 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 120 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 18 g protein