TASTE
Two easy stir-fries for your wok
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Writer Grace Young grew up listening to her elders discuss the wok hay of a dish — the perfect, intense nexis of flavor, temperature and texture achieved only in a well-seasoned wok, properly heated and presided over by a cook with a good understanding of wok dynamics. The Cantonese phrase can be translated as "breath of the wok," in Mandarin, the qi or chi of the wok.
Young named her award-winning book, co-authored with Alan Richardson, "The Breath of a Wok" (Simon & Schuster, 2004) after this concept.
The author got this recipe from Helen Chen, daughter of Joyce Chen, founder of the well-known cookware company. Cooked cucumbers will be new to many Americans. The recipe calls for English cucumbers but Japanese cucumbers may be substituted.
HELEN CHEN'S PORK WITH CUCUMBER
12 ounces lean pork butt, cut into 1/4-inch-thick, bite-size slices
1 1/2 teaspoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fermented black beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
1/2 English or Japanese cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon sugar
In a shallow bowl, combine pork, rice wine, cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
In another small bowl, mash the beans.
Heat a 14-inch, flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the canola oil and add the garlic and pork, spreading it evenly in the wok. Cook 20 seconds, leaving pork undisturbed.
Add the mashed beans and, using a metal spatula, stir-fry the pork until it is browned but still slightly rare, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer pork mixture to a plate.
Swirl in the remaining canola oil, add the cucumber and bell pepper, and stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are just limp. Stir in the pork, broth, sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir-fry 1 minute, or until the pork is cooked.
Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal.
Cookbook author and teacher Jean Yueh contributed this recipe to "Breath of the Wok" and notes that it's one of few stir-fry recipes that is equally good hot, at room temperature or even the next day, after the shrimp absorb the sauce.
JEAN YUEH'S SHANGHAI-STYLE SHRIMP
1 pound large, fresh, whole, shell-on shrimp
3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 slices ginger
2 scallions or green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon dry sherry
3 tablespoons sugar, to to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil, optional
Using shears, cut through shrimp shells at the back, two-thirds of the length. Remove legs and devein, leaving shells and tails on. Rinse the shrimp, drained and set on several sheets of paper towels. Pat shrimp dry with more paper towels.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce and vinegar.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok as in previous recipe. Swirl in the vegetable oil, add the ginger and scallions, and stir-fry 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add shrimp and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add sherry and stir-fry a few seconds. Swirl in soy-vinegar mixture and sprinkle with sugar. Stir-fry shrimp 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce is distributed and shrimp are pink.
Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil, if desired. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal.
Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.
