Shrimp, Chinese Sausage & Shitake Stir Fry

Shrimp, Chinese Sausages & Shitake Mushrooms Stir Fry
Adapted from A Spoonful of Ginger

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 8 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 lb/950g large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
Shrimp Marinade:
3 ½ tbsp rice wine or sake
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 ½ tbsp minced scallions (green onions) white part only
1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet red pepper, seeded and cut into thin Julienne strips
3-4 links of smoked Chinese sausages (mine were pork & chicken and tasted of a hint of star anise), sliced across into ¼ - ½” rounds
1 cup dried shitake mushrooms, reconstituted in hot water while the shrimp is marinating (drain them, reserving the liquid and slice across)

Sauce:
¼ cup hoisin sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine or sake
2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup water (or even better…the mushroom liquid, strained)

Garnish: finely chopped scallion greens ( I didn’t have any, but it would have been so pretty)

Directions:
1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a medium sized bowl and add the shrimp. Toss and let them marinate in the fridge for about 20 minutes. It will give you time to prepare the mushrooms and get the other ingredients ready.

2. Use a large non-stick skillet set over high heat, add the oil and once it gets hot add the garlic, sausages, sliced mushrooms and red pepper slices (about 1 minute). Add the sauce and heat until boiling. Add the shrimp with their marinade and toss well. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and turn the heat up again to thicken the sauce.

Serve over steamed rice or quick cooking Asian noodles…my preference is Hong Kong style Shrimp Noodles

Garnish with chopped scallions and serve.

Fermented Black Bean & Garlic Sauce

Fermented Black Bean & Garlic Sauce
From: Simply Ming


Hands-on time: 5 minutes

Makes 1 cup
Lasts 2 weeks in the fridge

Ingredients:
½ cup grapeseed oil or canola
Scant ¼ cup fermented black beans, roughly chopped
¼ cup garlic, minced
¼ cup peeled ginger, minced
1 bunch scallions (green onions), white & green parts, thinly sliced
½ tbsp sambal oelek or hot red pepper sauce (I’d use Asian chili paste)
¼ cup Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry (sake works too)
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Heat a wok or skillet (I used a non stick pan) over high heat. Add half the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the beans, garlic, ginger, and scallions and stir fry until the mixture has softened (2-3 minutes).

2. Add the sambal oelek and wine, lower the heat to medium and cook until the mixture is reduced by three quarters (another 3 minutes or so). Add the salt and pepper.

3. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer half the mixture to a blender (since this is such a small amount, my blender was useless. Fortunately I have an immersion blender with a jar and that was perfect.) Puree until smooth, adding the rest of the oil while the blender is running. Stir the puree into the rest of the mixture and cool completely before storing in a container that seals well.

Fantastic in stir fries and that's not all... Ming Tsai actually adds it to pasta and raw baby spinach.

Quick Vietnamese Soup

Quick Vietnamese Soup
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Soups & Stews2008

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Broth
5 cups chicken broth (more if you find the broth too strong)
4 large garlic cloves, smashed with a knife and peeled
1 (2”) piece of ginger, peeled & cut into thin slices and smashed with a knife to get more juice
2 (3”) cinnamon sticks
2 star anise pods
2 tbsp Asian fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar

Extra additions just before serving…
Chinese dumplings (I used frozen shrimp & pork dumplings I bought at Taishan Asian Grocery – 10 minutes in the broth)
Very thinly sliced beef that will cook just from the heat of the soup

Cooked shrimp, chicken
Thinly sliced raw mushroom
Bean sprouts
Chopped scallions (green onions)
Handful of baby spinach
Fresh basil (Thai would be perfect, but regular is good too)
Asian noodles (I used “Hong Kong Style” Shrimp Noodles from Kamfen) but ramen or rice vermicelli would be tasty…something that cooks in 2-3 minutes)

Directions:
1. Combine all the broth ingredients in a medium sized pot and cook over medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove solids, taste for seasoning…I found it delicious but strong, so I added a little more broth.

2. The broth alone is delightful, but adding any (or in my case all of the above) makes a very soothing, body and soul filling dish.