THE EVERYTHING® STIR-FRY COOKBOOK
Page 3
Feisty Fajita Marinade
Citrusy Mediterranean Marinade
Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce
Pineapple Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce
Korean-Inspired Sesame Sauce
Strange Flavor Sauce
Easy Teriyaki Marinade
Hot and Sour Sauce
Simple Sweet and Sour Sauce
Serves 3 to 4
1 tablespoon dry sherry, Chinese rice wine, or white cooking sherry
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
¼ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Yields ½ cup
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
Easy Chicken Marinade
Use this simple but flavorful marinade with 1 pound of chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes. Be sure to add the cornstarch last so that it seals in the other flavors.
Place the chicken cubes in a bowl and add the marinade ingredients. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Use as called for in a stir-fry recipe.
Simple Stir-Fry Sauce
Add this simple sauce in the final stages of stir-frying. If you like, thicken the sauce by adding 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 4 teaspoons water. Add the cornstarch and water mixture directly into the sauce in the wok or skillet, stirring quickly to thicken.
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Use as called for in a recipe, or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Use the sauce within 3 to 4 days.)
What's in a Bowl? When marinating food, the last thing you want is a chemical reaction between the material of the bowl and the acid in the marinade. Not only will the reaction wreak havoc with the marinade, but it can damage the bowl. For best results, use a container made of glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or plastic when marinating food. Never use an aluminum bowl.
Easy Oyster-Flavored Marinade for Beef
Flavored with oyster sauce, this marinade is a great way to add flavor to a simple beef and vegetable stir-fry that doesn't include a finishing sauce, as in the recipe for Easy Beef Stir-Fry with Vegetables (page 66).
Cut the beef according to recipe instructions. Place the beef in a bowl and add the marinade ingredients to the beef one at a time, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the beef for 15 to 25 minutes.
Orange Sauce
This sauce adds a powerful orange flavor to Orange Pork Chops (page 145). If you want a thicker sauce, leave the water out of the sauce and combine the water with 1½ teaspoons cornstarch in a separate small bowl. Add the sauce as called for in the recipe, bring to a boil, and then add in the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring to thicken.
Combine the orange juice, water, rice vinegar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl. Either use immediately in a stir-fry recipe or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Use the sauce within 3 to 4 days.)
Serves 3 to 4
1½ tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Yields cup
6 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Yields ¼ cup
2½ tablespoons beef broth
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1½ teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice wine or sherry
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Korean-Inspired Marinade
Marinade's role as flavor enhancer is particularly important in stir-frying, which is all about quick cooking as opposed to slow simmering. Use this flavorful marinade to marinate between 1 and 1½ pounds of beef before stir-frying.
Prepare the beef for stir-frying, cutting according to the recipe directions. Place the beef in a bowl and add the marinade ingredients one at a time, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the beef in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
The Purpose of Marinating Marinades tenderize and add flavor to food. While many stir-fries contain a finishing sauce, loading the sauce with too many seasonings causes flavors to run together. Using some of the seasonings in the marinade instead of the sauce helps the individual flavors to remain distinct.
Sesame Sauce
Sesame sauce makes a great dipping sauce to go with Spring Rolls (page 192), or it can be added to a stir-fry dish at the end of cooking, as in Sesame Tofu (page 286). If chile paste is already included in the recipe (as in Sesame Tofu with Vegetables (page 291), do not add it to the sauce.
Combine the chicken broth, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and chile paste in a bowl. Whisk in the cornstarch. Either use the sauce immediately or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until needed. (Use the sauce within 3 to 4 days.) Stir the sauce before adding to the stir-fry to bring up any cornstarch that has settled on the bottom.
Where to Marinate Bacteria can form in meat that is allowed to marinate at room temperature. Food that is going to be marinated for 30 minutes or longer should always be refrigerated. With the exception of recipes that call for velveting the food, the marinating time for stir-fries is normally under 30 minutes. Experts offer conflicting advice as to whether these need to be refrigerated as well, but definitely do so if you're concerned about food safety.
Yields ½ cup
4 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or Chinese red rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon chile paste, optional
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Yieldsabout ¾ cup
½ cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
½ teaspoon chile paste, optional
Yields cup
½ cup beef broth
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
4 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil, optional
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Curry Sauce
For best results, use an Indian Madras curry powder in this recipe.
In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, curry powder, brown sugar, dark soy sauce, and chile paste. Either use immediately in a stir-fry recipe or keep covered in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Use the sauce within 3 to 4 days.)
Curry While many people believe that curry is a single dry spice, curry powder is a compilation of spices that may or may not include curry leaves. Furthermore, the word curry actually comes from the Tamil word kahri, meaning “sauce.”
Basic Brown Sauce
Either store-bought beef broth or beef bouillon cubes dissolved in boiling water can be used in this recipe.
Combine the beef broth, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine or dry sherry, sugar, and sesame oil (if using) in a bowl. Whisk in the cornstarch. Either use the sauce immediately or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Use the sauce within 3 to 4 days.) Stir the sauce before adding it to the stir-fry to bring up any cornstarch that has settled on the bottom.
Orange Marinade
The orange flavor in this marinade goes very nicely with pork, as in Spicy Orange Pork Chops (page 145). Use the marinade with ¾ to 1 pound of lean pork, adding 2 teaspoons cornstarch to seal in the other ingredients, if desired.
Cut the pork according to the
recipe directions. Place the pork in a bowl and add the marinade ingredients. Discard any unused marinade.
Reusing Marinade If you want to use a marinade as a sauce, add it to the stir-fry in the final stages of cooking. If the marinade was used to marinate meat or poultry, there is a danger that the marinade picked up bacteria from the uncooked meat. You can boil the marinade for 5 minutes to kill bacteria, or you can make a second batch of the marinade, reserving it for the sauce.
Oyster-Flavored Brown Sauce
The amount of sugar needed for the sauce will depend partly on the other ingredients in this stir-fry recipe. If no other sugar is being added, you may want to increase the amount of sugar to 2½ or 3 teaspoons.
Combine the beef broth, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, black pepper, and sugar in a bowl. Whisk in the cornstarch. Either use the sauce immediately as called for in the stir-fry recipe or place the brown sauce in a sealed container and refrigerate until needed. (Use the sauce within 3 to 4 days.) Stir the sauce before adding it to the stir-fry to bring up any cornstarch that has settled on the bottom.
Versatile Brown Sauce A savory combination of beef broth and soy sauce, sometimes flavored with oyster sauce, brown sauce is used in several Chinese dishes. Besides making an excellent gravy to pour over Egg Foo Yung, restaurants frequently use it to lend flavor to beef-and-broccoli dishes.
Yields ¼ cup
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ green onion, finely chopped
Yields ¾ cup
½ cup beef broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 teaspoons dark soy sauce Black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Yields¼ cup
2 tablespoons water
1½ tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
¼ teaspoon chile paste with garlic, or to taste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ green onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon water (optional)
Peking Sauce
Peking sauce is another name for hoisin sauce. In this recipe, the hoisin sauce is combined with chile paste, garlic, green onion, and Asian sesame oil for extra flavor.
Combine the water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, chile paste, minced garlic, and chopped green onion in a bowl. If using in a stir-fry recipe, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Use the sauce within 3 to 4 days.) If desired, thicken the sauce by adding the cornstarch and water: After the Peking Sauce has been added to the stir-fry, bring the sauce to a boil and then add the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring quickly to thicken.
Peking Dipping Sauce If using Peking Sauce as a dipping sauce, heat the water, hoi-sin sauce, sesame oil, chile paste, garlic, and green onion in a small saucepan. Add the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring quickly to thicken. Use immediately or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Use the sauce within 3 to 4 days.)
Italian Pesto Sauce
The name pesto refers to the fact that this famous Italian sauce is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle. However, modern cooks find that a food processor or a blender works just as well.
Peel and mince the garlic. Process the garlic and walnuts in the food processor or blender. Add the basil leaves and process again. Add the cheese and process again. Slowly add the olive oil, and process until the pesto is creamy. Either use the pesto immediately or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Use the pesto within 1 week.)
Pesto Variations While pesto sauce is an Italian creation, many cuisines have developed their own versions. Thai pesto recipes usually have either licorice-flavored sweet basil or peppery Thai holy basil and may include toasted coconut. Greek variations on pesto sauce frequently replace the basil with parsley and add lemon juice and bread crumbs. French pistou is really just another version of pesto, minus the nuts.
Yields 2 cups
2 cloves garlic
½ cup walnuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
cup olive oil
Yields¼ cup
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Yields 1 cup
5 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
¼ cup olive oil
Feisty Fajita Marinade
Both sea salt and kosher salt contain fewer additives and have a richer flavor than ordinary table salt. Use one of these in this marinade to bring out the other flavors in the recipe.
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, chile powder, kosher or sea salt, ground cumin, black pepper, and garlic salt. Whisk in the olive oil. Either use the marinade immediately or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Use within 1 week, stirring the marinade before adding to the meat, poultry, or tofu.
Citrusy Mediterranean Marinade
Be sure to use extra-virgin olive oil in this recipe. While pure olive oil (also simply called olive oil) has the high smoke point needed for stir-frying, extra-virgin olive oil is the best choice for marinades and salad dressings.
Combine the orange juice, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, basil, and black pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Refrigerate in a sealed container until needed. (Use the marinade within 1 week.)
How to Peel Garlic To peel garlic, lay an unpeeled clove on the cutting board. Take a knife with a wide blade and lay the blade flat over the garlic clove. Press down hard with the palm of your hand. The garlic peel should slide off easily.
Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce
A 14-ounce can of pineapple chunks will give you the right amount needed for this sauce. The brown sugar complements the sweetness of the pineapple, while the vinegar and salt give the sauce a multifaceted flavor.
In a small bowl, combine the pineapple juice, salt, vinegar, and brown sugar. Whisk in the cornstarch. Use the sauce as called for in a recipe. Reserve the pineapple chunks to add directly to the stir-fry, as called for in the recipe. If not using immediately, store the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator. (Use within 3 to 4 days.) Stir the sauce before adding it to the stir-fry to bring up any cornstarch that has settled on the bottom.
Pineapple Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce
This sauce can be used as a dipping sauce with Pork Egg Rolls (page 170) or Spring Rolls (page 192).
In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.
In a saucepan, bring the brown sugar, pineapple juice, and salt to a boil on medium heat. Stir in the vinegar. Add the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring to thicken.
Add the bell pepper and pineapple chunks. Stir briefly to heat through. If not using immediately, store the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator. (Use within 3 to 4 days.)
Yields 1 cup
¾ cup pineapple juice
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup pineapple chunks
Yields 1¼ cups
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons brown sugar
¾ cup pineapple juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup vinegar
½ green bell p
epper, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons pineapple chunks
Yields ¼ cup
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
Yields ¼ cup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons chile sauce
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil Additional water, if needed
Korean-Inspired Sesame Sauce
This simple sauce makes a flavorful marinade for pork or lends a nice finishing touch to a pork and vegetable stir-fry. The proportions are easy to adjust.
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. If not using immediately, store the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator. (Use the sauce within 3 to 4 days.)
Strange Flavor Sauce
This is the sauce that is served with Strange Flavor Chicken Salad (page 42), a popular Szechuan restaurant dish. Traditionally, the sauce includes freshly ground roasted Szechuan peppercorns — feel free to add ½ teaspoon if desired. If Szechuan peppercorns are unavailable, you could substitute a small amount of freshly ground white pepper.