Posts tagged ‘stir-fry’
Stir-Fried Chili Scallops with Baby Bok Choy for #WokWednesdays
This tasty explosion of color and flavor made me regret all the Wok Wednesdays I’ve been missing in the hurly-burly of the last few months. As always, focusing in on one recipe from Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge by the amazing and brilliant Grace Young gave me knowledge, pleasure, and a superb dinner for my family and me. It was a busy weeknight, but since this dazzling dish reels in protein and vegetables and was served with plenty of rice, it was an all-in-one which fit in just fine on a busy Tuesday in winter-deciding-whether-to-surrender-to-spring NC evening.
Here in the very-well-supplied region known as The Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and environs), I could have obtained every ingredient except for the chili bean paste at my nearest supermarket or at the not-too-distant Whole Foods here in town. But since I decided to head for Li Ming Asian Market in order to purchase this key ingredient, I decided to look for the baby bok choy there as well. I found not only baby, but also itty-bitty-baby bok-choy, and that is what I got. Beautiful, delicious, delightful to handle and see and taste.
For the bean sauce issue, I found the one pictured in @Grace Young’s marvellous book, our text, but decided to go with the blue can, because it’s a brand I used back when I first started cooking Asian food, and because I love the logo and old-school style of the packaging. Both seemed quite similar in ingredients listed, and both are products of Taiwan. I will transfer the remaining sauce to a glass jar and keep it in the fridge, I think. Hmmm—need to ask Grace! Preserved salted soybean products like this were created to be kept at room temperature for long periods of time, so actually, it may be fine to keep out on the counter. I prefer that when it’s safe to do so, because the further away something is, the less likely I am to think of it and use it.
Prep for this dish was a bit different, as I have never stir-fried scallops before; in fact I have very seldom cooked them in any form at all. I love them, but don’t tend to order them or buy them due to both expense and lack of knowledge as to how best to prepare them. Glad to be nudged into Scallop World here. For this recipe, they were rinsed, patted dry, and then halved crosswise. This made them ‘go further’, giving an abundant looking dish. They cooked quite evenly and quickly as well.
Next step for me was preparing the garlic and the fresh ginger (mmmmmm, so aromatic, so beautiful, so tasty — I got a big supply this time, which will live out on the counter in the basket with its friends, garlic, shallots, limes and lemons, onions and fresh hot chilies).
I stirred together the seasonings in a small bowl: chili bean sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce and cornstarch, and measured out all the other ingredients so I was ready for action.
My scallops released a good bit of liquid—I may not have patted them dry enough, or I may have had heat wrong. This caused them to stew more than to develop a bit of a browned crusty texture which I had imagined they would do. But looking at the photograph, I realized that is not the deal with this preparation, and in fact, the finished dish was both gorgeous in colors, texture, and aroma, but completely delicious and satisfying as well. I would move a bit faster next time — the more times I cook a given stir-fry, the better it gets, because the better I get at my timing of that dish’s particular deal. I think this would be excellent with bay scallops as well, which would eliminate the halving of the scallops, and also bring down the cost. This was a glorious splurge, which I could see making with shrimp or chicken or tofu and mushrooms, adjusting the timing to the particular ingredient.
Look for the recipe on page 154 – 155 of Grace’s must-have book, Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories.
Join us in cooking from this book on WokWednesdays. Visit the blog, and check out the Facebook page as well. Happy cooking, happy eating!
Wok Wednesdays: Chinese Trinidadian Stir-Fried Shrimp with Rum
My third time around on the #WokWednesdays merry-go-round is a generous and colorful dish which we paired with rice for a one-dish meal. Like our last recipe, this dish took some prep time, chopping and measuring out the ingredients; but with that done, the cooking-to-serving-platter time shrinks to under ten minutes, and the results were lucious and pleasing to eyes and palates. Lots of robust red sauce waits beneath the shrimp and peppers pictured here, making this an excellent dish to enjoy Thai-style; that is, over long-grain rice which is cooked to be fluffy and ideal for eating from plates with spoons, rather than from rice bowls with chopsticks. Not that rice bowls and chopsticks would be a problem; just use the serving spoon to scoop some of that divine sauce right onto the rice as you eat. 
I love how wok cooking changes the color of food from the outside in. This is when I know to toss and turn the shrimp, since their downside is getting done.
These shrimp are well on their way, and due for another toss.
I left the shells on, for the flavor boost and beautiful color. It’s messy eating, but I’m of the fried-chicken eating, watermelon-seed spitting crew of Southerners who consider messiness a harbinger of tasty fun food experiences. Not wrong to take them off; just don’t mind leaving them on for what I consider rewards for doing so. Shells provide lots of locations for sauce and tidbits to hunker down and be discovered by intrepid eaters….
A beautiful view, always, when I cook in a wok. The ginger and garlic which went in first thing gave lovely flavor notes to the dish, especially in the rust-colored sauce.
I love the stir-fry management techniques dreamed up by two of my fellow bloggers. Big Red Kitchen sets out her mise-en-place (chop/prep/measure-steps) in jars, and Mother Would Know notes steps on sticky notes to keep her on track. She calls them cheat sheets, but I could not put such a pejorative spin on her idea. I think it is resourceful cook-smarts and a worthy example to follow. which my fellow bloggers, Big Red Kitchen and Mother Would know
For this color-and-flavor-packed recipe, click HERE: Big Red Kitchen
Here’s a round-up of some of my fellow Wok Wednesday bloggers
http://motherwouldknow.com/journal/stir-fried-shrimp.htm
http://thedoubletroublekitchen.com/2012/06/13/ww-chinese-trinidadian-stir-fried-shrimp-with-rum/
http://whatthreefoods.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/chinese-trinidadian-stir-fried-shrimp-with-rum/
http://sarah.thepuddle.com/?p=104
http://myculinarymission.blogspot.com/2012/06/ww-chinese-trinidadian-stir-fried.htm
http://motherwouldknow.com/journal/stir-fried-shrimp.htm
http://www.debbiemoose.com/wordpress/
http://countrysidefoodrides.blogspot.com/p/wok-wednesdays.html#1206
The Wok Wednesdays post on this dish:
http://wokwednesdays.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/lyl-chinese-trinidadian-stir-fried-shrimp-with-rum/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WokWednesdays
Grace Young’s website: http://www.graceyoung.com/
Pinterest Page generously created by Robin Sue of Big Red Kitchen: http://pinterest.com/bigredkitchen/wok-wednesdays/
Basic Background for Wok Wednesdays: http://wokwednesdays.wordpress.com/about/
Order Grace Young’s inspiring book HERE , and consider cooking along with us next time!
Shaking Beef with Peppery Watercress
Photograph by Colin Erricson, Copyright 2007.
This recipe comes from my biggest cookbook, 300 Best Stir-Fry Recipes, published by Robert Rose, Inc., 2007. You could cook it in a heavy skillet, a frying pan, or a wok. While stir-fries often need a large, deep pan with room for tossing and turning all the ingredients, this one needs only a medium-sized pan, because only the beef is cooked. We enjoy this with rice as the centerpiece of an Asian style meal, but it goes wonderfully with baked potatoes, quinoa, couscous, or garlic toast.
Vietnamese-Style Shaking Beef with Peppery Watercress
Absolutely gorgeous and delicious, this Vietnamese take on steak is a perfect choice when you want a special dish, which can be prepared in advance and sizzled up just before. A simple salad of watercress and red onions serves as the foundation for tender steak. You could use spinach instead of watercress. If it is very tender, no change is needed. If it is beyond the baby-spinach stage, cook it very briefly in the pan after removing the cooked beef. Then toss it with the dressing and red onions and serve with the beef.
12 ounces thick-cut tender beef steak (rib-eye, New York strip, tri-tip)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons white or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion
2 cups very coarsely chopped watercress (bite-sized pieces)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
To prepare the beef, cut the steak into chunks, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. In a bowl, combine fish sauce, soy sauce, ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp salt and stir well. Add steak and stir to coat well. Set aside for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine vinegar, 1 tsp oil, and remaining sugar, pepper, and salt. Add onion and toss well to separate into thin strips and mix evenly with dressing. Add watercress but leave it on top of onions and dressing (you will toss it just before serving).
Heat a wok or a large deep skillet over high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil and swirl to coat pan. Add steak mixture and spread into a single Layer. Cook, undisturbed, until nicely browned, for 1 to 2 minutes . Shake pan to turn meat and start browning on other side; use a spatula or slotted spoon if needed
Add garlic, scattering over beef and cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute more. Shake pan again. Cook, shaking, and scooping as needed, until meat is brown and cooked to desired doneness, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Remove pan from heat and set aside while you finish salad. Toss watercress well to dress it and mix with onions. Spread salad on a serving plate. Place beef on top. Serve hot or warm.
Note: If you can’t find watercress, use spinach leaves or a mix of salad greens instead.
Copyright: Nancie McDermott, 2011. All rights reserved.
