• Mix all ingredients for seasonings in a bowl and set aside
• Soak the mushrooms in hot water until soften and plump. Trim off the stems. I leave the mushrooms whole for a better presentation. You can use a very sharp knife to score a "X" sign on the mushroom cap

If cooking with Instant Pot:

• Press saute on Instant pot. When it's hot, add cooking oil. Add the aromatics and stir fry until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Deglaze with wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure you get all the little bits unstuck if any. Add the chicken and mushrooms followed by seasonings. Add water, just barely to cover everything.Turn off saute mode
• Cover the lid. Turn steam release valve to seal. Press "pressure cooker", "high pressure". Set timer to "20 minutes". When the timer is up, wait 5 minutes and then release pressure completely
• Carefully unlock the lid and add the sea cucumber pieces. Let them submerge in the braising liquid. Press saute and cook for another 15 minutes to let the flavor be absorbed by the sea cucumber pieces. Have a taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste
• If you want to thicken the sauce, mix cornstarch with water and stir it in and keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn off the saute mode

If cooking on the stove:

• Preheat a large heavy-bottom pot, like Dutch oven. Add cooking oil. Add the aromatics and stir fry until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Deglaze with wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure you get all the little bits unstuck if any. Add the chicken and mushrooms followed by seasonings. Add water, just barely to cover everything
• Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and let it gently braised for the next 45minutes to one hour or longer or until the chicken pieces are tender
• 15 minutes before the end of cooking time add the sea cucumber. I have pre-cooked the sea cucumber after rehydrating them, so they don't take long to cook anymore. Have a taste and add more soy sauce as needed to your taste. It should be savory with just a hint of sweetness
• If you want to thicken the sauce, mix cornstarch with water and stir it in and keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat

To serve:

• Garnish with some chopped green onion and serve with rice