Title: STIR-FRIED SCALLOPS IN A BASKET
Categories: Chinese, Seafood
Yield: 4 servings
12 Fresh scallops (or prawns,
Chicken breast, or fish
-balls)
12 sl Giant bamboo shoot
12 sl Carrot
12 Fresh snow peas or thinly
-sliced broccoli
2 c Shredded lettuce
2 md Potatoes
1/2 ts Salt
4 c Oil for deep frying
3 sl Fresh ginger
1 Clove garlic, crushed
2 tb Peanut oil
1 pn Salt
2/3 c Chicken stock
2 tb Gin
1/2 ts Sugar
1/4 ts White pepper
2 ts Thin soy sauce
Cornstarch paste
Contrasting texture, color and appearance are
hallmarks of this im- pressive banquet dish.
Preparation: Slice bamboo shoot across grain into 2"
triangles. Peel & slice carrots on bias. Remove
strings from peas & wash. If substi- tuting broccoli,
use peeled stems only; slice thinly on bias. Shred
lettuce; arrange like nest on round 10" serving plate.
Making Potato Basket: Peel, then coarsely shred
potatoes. Or, slice potatoes into thin matchsticks.
Rinse potatoes in cold water twice; soak them 30
minutes in cold salted water; rinse & drain. Slowly
heat deep-frying oil in wok to medium hot; test potato
slice: it should brown in 30 seconds. Dust potatoes
with cornstarch so they will stick together when
fried. Arrange them in a cross-hatch pattern on
Chinese wire strainer or other suitable strainer to
form deep basket. Press them in position with another
strainer. If you use bowl for pressing, heat it
first, because you don't want to cool frying oil.
Immerse in oil & deep-fry until potatoes begin to
brown. Remove from oil; take away top strainer only;
drain; reserve.
When ready to serve, heat oil to very hot, but not
smoking; deep-fry potatoes in strainer again until
they are brown & crisp. Place basket in nest of
lettuce.
Blanching: Dip scallops in hot but not boiling water;
remove in 15 seconds when scallops are warmed: don`t
allow them to cook.
Stir-frying: As you heat wok to medium hot, stir-fry
ginger slices & garlic to flavor wok; remove when they
start to brown; discard. When wok is hot, add peanut
oil & salt; stir. Add bamboo shoots & carrots;
stir-fry 1 minute. Add stock. When stock boils, add
scallops, snow peas, sugar, white pepper, gin & soy
sauce. Stir 1 minute. Add cornstarch paste to
thicken. Transfer to potato basket. Serve.
