If you've ever had Italy's take on fondue, bagna cauda, you'll know that anchovies have a distinguished place in Italian cuisine. Serve Roman Style Lamb with basic stir-fried noodles (page 200), with plenty of fresh parsley for garnish.
Cut the lamb across the grain into thin strips. Place the lamb in a bowl and add the salt, black pepper, dried rosemary, dried basil, and cornstarch. Let the lamb stand for 15 minutes.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and the garlic. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the anchovy, mashing it to mix it in with the garlic. Add the Roma tomatoes and stir-fry for a minute.
Push the shallots, garlic, and tomato to the sides of the wok and add the sliced lamb in the middle. Stir-fry the lamb for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is no longer pink and it is nearly cooked through.
Add the chicken broth and white wine and bring to a boil. Stir-fry for another minute to heat everything through. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt or pepper if desired. Serve hot.
Serves 2 to 4
¾ pound lean lamb
½ teaspoon salt Black pepper to taste
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon dried basil
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 anchovy fillet, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons dry white wine
5
Fish and Shellfish Dishes
Stir-Fried Shrimp with Snow Peas
Crabmeat with Spring Vegetables
Curried Shrimp
Sweet and Sour Fish
Spicy Shrimp with Peanuts
Shrimp Scampi
Basic Stir-Fried Scallops
Simple Stir-Fried Shrimp
Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce
Scallops with Garlic and Red Pepper
Scallops with Snow Peas
Ketchup Shrimp
Sweet and Sour Shrimp
Lemon-Flavored Shrimp
Shrimp Creole
Cucumber with Prawns
Shrimp with Broccoli in Garlic Sauce
Simple Stir-Fried Fish
Crab Creole
Marsala Scallops
Prawns with Two Kinds of Vegetables
Coconut Shrimp
Butter Prawns
Scallops with Black Beans
Five-Spiced Shrimp
Shrimp and Asparagus
Stir-Fried Fish
Salt and Pepper Shrimp
Stir-Fried Fish with Oyster Sauce
Shrimp and Spinach Stir-Fry
Butterfly Shrimp with Mangetout
Black Bean Squid
Prawns with Two Kinds of Mushrooms
Shrimp Fried “Rice”
Serves 2 to 4
1 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce or fish sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
6 ounces snow peas, trimmed
1 green onion, finely chopped
Stir-Fried Shrimp with Snow Peas
This is a simple shrimp stir-fry that would go nicely with cooked jasmine or basmati rice.
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp in a bowl and toss with the salt.
In a bowl, combine the chicken broth with the soy sauce or fish sauce and the sugar.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the shrimp. Stir-fry the shrimp briefly until they turn bright pink. Splash the shrimp with the rice wine or sherry while stir-frying.
Push the shrimp to the sides of the pan. Add the snow peas in the middle. Stir-fry in the hot oil for about 1 minute, until the snow peas turn a darker green and are tender but still crisp.
Add the chicken broth mixture into the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the green onion. Stir-fry for another minute, to heat everything through. Serve hot.
Fish Sauce As the name implies, fish sauce is made from small fresh fish that are fermented in salt for about 18 months. The salty brown liquid is a staple ingredient in Thai cooking, taking the place of salt as a seasoning. Fish sauce is also found in Vietnamese cuisine and occasionally in southern Chinese dishes.
Crabmeat with Spring Vegetables
This light and simple dish is a great way to celebrate spring. To add a bit of spice to the dish, try adding ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper with the ginger.
Fill a large saucepan with enough water to cover the cauliflower and bring to a boil. Blanch the cauliflower in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove the cauliflower, rinse under cold running water, and drain thoroughly. Combine the water, white wine vinegar, and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the cauliflower and the zucchini. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then pour in the vinegar mixture. Stir-fry for another minute, turning down the heat to medium if needed and stirring quickly so as not to brown the cauliflower. Stir in the crabmeat and stir-fry for another minute or until the cauliflower is tender but still crisp. Serve immediately.
Serves 2 to 3
½ pound cauliflower
5 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 zucchini, cut on the diagonal into ¼-inch slices
¾ pound crabmeat, fresh or canned
Serves 3 to 4
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1½ tablespoons red curry paste
1 shallot, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
½ teaspoon granulated sugar, or to taste
Curried Shrimp
As always, feel free to turn the heat up or down on this dish by using more or less curry paste if desired.
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp in a bowl and toss with the salt.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp. Stir-fry briefly until they turn pink.
Push the shrimp up the sides of the pan. Add the garlic and curry paste into the hot oil. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the shallot. Stir-fry, mixing the shallot in with the curry paste, for about 1 minute or until the shallot begins to soften.
Add the green bell pepper. Stir-fry briefly, then add the red bell pepper. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until the green bell pepper is tender but still crisp. Splash the peppers with the soy sauce while stir-frying.
Stir-fry for another minute, mixing the shrimp with the vegetables and stirring in the rice wine or sherry and the sugar. Serve hot.
Red or Green Curry Paste Red chili peppers are the main ingredient in red curry paste, while green chilies are used to make green curry paste. The heat level of the paste will depend on the specific type of chili pepper used and whether the seeds (which are the hottest part of the pepper) are included.
Sweet and Sour Fish
Cod or sole would both be good choices for this recipe. Garnish the fish with lemon wedges and fresh cilantro before serv
ing.
Rinse the fish fillets, pat dry, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Add the chopped bell peppers to the sauce. Warm the sauce on low heat while cooking the fish.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is almost smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger slices and the chopped green onions. Stir-fry for about 10 seconds, then add the fish cubes. Stir-fry the fish cubes until they are opaque. Splash with soy sauce and continue cooking, stirring gently, until the fish cubes are cooked through. Season with black pepper if desired.
Bring the sweet and sour sauce to a boil, stirring. Pour over the stir-fried fish and serve.
Serves 4
1 pound white fish fillets
½ red bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
½ green bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
Simple Sweet and Sour Sauce (page 28)
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
4 thin slices ginger
2 green onions, cut into thirds
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
Black pepper to taste
Serves 2
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 green onions, finely chopped
6–8 small red chilies, seeded and chopped
½ cup peanuts
Spicy Shrimp with Peanuts
For seafood lovers, this recipe is an interesting variation on classic Easy Kung Pao Chicken (page 33).
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water. Place the shrimp in a bowl and soak in warm water with the salt for 15 minutes. Remove. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
Combine the red wine vinegar, soy sauce, water, and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger, green onion, and the chopped chilies. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, then add the shrimp. Stir-fry the shrimp for 1 minute or until they turn pink, then add the sauce. Stir in the peanuts. Cook for another 2 minutes to heat through, then serve hot.
Enhancing Shrimp Flavor To add extra flavor, let the shrimp stand in warm salted water for 10 to 15 minutes after rinsing. This firms up the shrimp and enhances its natural flavor. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels before stir-frying.
Shrimp Scampi
There's a good chance that the “fresh shrimp” displayed at your local supermarket has previously been frozen. Refreezing shrimp alters the flavor, so don't attempt to freeze it at home unless you are certain that it is truly fresh and hasn't been frozen.
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp in a bowl and toss with the salt.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the shrimp. Stir-fry the shrimp briefly, until they turn bright pink. Splash the shrimp with the lemon juice during stir-frying.
Push the shrimp up the sides of the wok or skillet. Add the butter, shallots, and garlic to the middle of the pan. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, until the shallots begin to soften. Sprinkle the paprika over the shallots while you are stir-frying.
Mix the shrimp with the shallots, garlic, and seasonings. Stir-fry for another minute to heat through. Serve hot.
Serves 2 to 4
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
Serves 3 to 4
1 pound scallops
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon chile paste, or to taste
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
3 green onions, chopped
Serves 3 to 4
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 slices ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Basic Stir-Fried Scallops
If you are using large sea scallops, be sure to pull off the hard muscle on the side and cut the scallops in half after rinsing.
Rinse the scallops in cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the scallops in a bowl and toss with the salt and the cornstarch.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the scallops.
Stir-fry the scallops for 1 minute, then splash with the soy sauce. Stir in the chile paste, sugar, and green onions. Continue stir-frying until the scallops are white but not too firm (total stir-frying time should be 2 to 3 minutes). Serve hot.
Simple Stir-Fried Shrimp
Take care not to overcook the shrimp, or they will be tough. You may splash the shrimp with Chinese rice wine instead of soy sauce if that's what you have on hand.
Rinse the shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp in a bowl and stir in the salt and cornstarch. Let the shrimp sit for at least 5 minutes.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the sliced ginger. Let brown for 2 to 3 minutes, and then remove. (This is to flavor the oil.)
Add the shrimp. Stir-fry, stirring and moving the shrimp around the pan until it turns pink and begins to curl. Stir in the soy sauce and sugar while stir-frying. Serve hot.
Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce
Pungent black bean sauce lends a rich flavor to shellfish dishes. If you like, spice up this dish by adding a small amount of chile paste to the garlic and black bean sauce.
Rinse the shrimp in cold running water and drain. Place the shrimp in a bowl and toss with the cornstarch.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the black bean sauce and the garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, mixing the garlic and black bean sauce together. Add the shrimp, minced ginger, and the green onion. Stir-fry the shrimp until they turn pink and the edges begin to curl, mixing in with the sauce.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Serve hot over rice.
Scallops with Garlic and Red Pepper
This dish is especially delicious when served with cooked rice and a stir-fried green vegetable or a salad.
Rinse the scallops under cold running water and pat dry. Cut the scallops into quarters.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and the chile paste. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, mixing the chile paste in with the garlic.
Add the onion and stir-fry until it begins to soften (about 2 minutes). Add the scallops. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until they begin to brown, splashing with the rice wine or dry sherry. Add the red bell pepper. Stir-fry for a minute or until the scallops are cooked through. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Serve immediately.
Serves 2 to 4
1 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 tablespoons Chinese black bean sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 slices ginger, minced
> 2 green onions, quartered
¼ cup chicken broth
Serves 2 to 4
1 pound sea scallops
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon chile paste, or to taste
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 red bell peppers, cut into bite-sized cubes
Serves 3 to 4
1 pound bay scallops
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
½ teaspoon minced garlic
3–5 ounces snow peas, trimmed
1 large red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
½ teaspoon minced ginger
Scallops with Snow Peas
In this recipe the vegetables are stir-fried first and then returned to the pan to mix with the sauce in the final stages of cooking.
Rinse the scallops in cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
Place the scallops in a bowl and toss with the white pepper.
Combine the chicken broth, oyster sauce, and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the snow peas. Stir-fry the snow peas for 1 minute, then add the red bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute or until the snow peas have turned a darker green and the vegetables are tender but still crisp. Remove the vegetables and drain in a colander or on paper towels.
THE EVERYTHING® STIR-FRY COOKBOOK Page 12