Place dried mushrooms in a covered bowl with enough water to cover about 2" above. Leave to soak for about 2 hours or until soft. When soft enough, drain off the water and cut mushrooms in about half or quarters cutting off stems.

Wash, drain and cut up chicken in pieces for stew.

Season with all seasonings up to the oyster sauce. Set aside to marinade.

To cook chicken, place a deep pot on medium-high heat, in about 2 minutes, add oil. Wait another minute and add chicken when hot. Stir for a few minutes until a little brown. Add about 1 cup of water, cover and start to cook down. Stir every few minutes as needed.

In about 10 minutes, add mushrooms and stir. Cook down about another half an hour until cooked, stirring every 5-8 minutes and add a little more water a time if needed. You want to end with some liquid for gravy.

In the last 5 minutes, add the onion. Stir and remove from heat.