January 11, 2007
Dried Shrimp -> Scallops -> Shrimp -> Kailan - Utilize The Flavor In The Wok!
I have blogged about how I like to use dried shrimp (’hei bi’ in Teochew) in my soup base as well as other dishes like stir fried mung bean sprouts and cabbage.
Since it’s a hassle to stir fry them as and when I want to use them, I prepare them in advance - wash, pat dry and stir fry with oil, garlic and ginger. Then I store them in the freezer for future use.
Today I ran out of my supply, so it’s time again to prep the whole packet of dried shrimp.
But I did not want the flavor of the wok to go to waste! So I planned the sequence of events like so:
1. Stir fry dried shrimp,
2. Sear scallops,
3. Stir fry the bigger shrimp.
4. With each step, the wok gets MORE and MORE flavor, then finally I add the kailan and shrimp stock to get all the flavor into the gravy.
Here are the ingredients (serves 2) for each step:
A. Dried shrimp, 2 cloves garlic (smashed), 2 slices of ginger (julienned), vegetable oil.
Using medium heat, stir fry the whole packet of dried shrimp (medium sized ones) with garlic, ginger and as much vegetable oil as necessary to coat all the dried shrimp. Set aside everything to cool and store in freezer.
B. 5 scallops, 1/4 tsp salt, a few dashes white pepper
Note: Pat scallops dry so that you can sear properly or moisture will cause scallops to steam.
Season scallops with salt and white pepper. (White pepper is used versus black pepper, for aesthetic reasons - you do not want the scallops to have black specks on them.)
Add more oil to the wok if necessary. Medium heat. Now with the dried shrimp flavor on the wok, I go on to sear my scallops. Sear each side for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.
After the scallops are seared, there will be brown bits left on the wok. DO NOT wipe the wok! These brown bits are very tasty!
C. Shrimp stock: heads, shells, 1 stalk green onion, 1 slice ginger, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup water
Note: I only used 3 medium-sized shrimp for this dish.
Remove heads and shells from shrimp to make shrimp stock. Devein shrimp. Add shrimp stock ingredients to boiling water and allow to boil for about 10 minutes. Switch to low heat to simmer, while you cook the rest of the ingredients for this dish.
D. 3 medium shrimp, 1 clove garlic (smashed), 1/4 tsp salt, a few dashes white pepper, 1/4 tsp corn flour
Season shrimp with salt, white pepper and corn flour. (Mom says corn flour makes the shrimp texture smoother.)
Add shrimp to wok. Add oil if necessary. Use spatula to remove the brown bits left by the scallops. Stir fry shrimp and let the shrimp pick up the brown bits. When cooked, set shrimp aside (same plate as scallops) and leave garlic in wok.
E. 6 stalks kailan (outer “skin” lightly scraped off, stems cut on the bias), shrimp stock from (C), 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp rice wine, corn flour solution (1/2 tsp corn flour dissolved in water)
Add stems to wok and stir fry for a minute or so, then add the leaves. Stir fry for another minute or so until leaves wilt, then add shrimp stock, oyster sauce, and rice wine. Mix well.
Create some space in the center of wok. Slowly add corn flour solution to thicken gravy to desired thickness. Stir gravy well to see the consistency.
F. To serve
Plate kailan, then arrange scallops and shrimp. Best eaten with plain white rice.
Do remember to always utilize the flavor in the wok. This really adds a lot of zing to the final dish!
Note: Since I am eating shellfish in moderation, I ate 2 scallops and 1 shrimp and most of the kailan.
Bite This!
More recipes:
Tom Yam Goong (Prawns) Soup To Spice Up Your Life
Got Soup? (3) - Stock For Soup And Its Uses
Got Soup? (6) - Principal Ingredient (Herbs And Vegetables)
Got Soup? (4) - Soup Extracts, Stock Pot, Flavoring Stock
Got Soup? (7) - Processes Involved In Making Stock
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January 11th, 2007 at 11:57 pm
Sounds great. But why aren’t they frolicking? =)
- Chubbypanda
January 12th, 2007 at 5:42 am
They were frolicking in my stomach :p
January 12th, 2007 at 6:03 am
hmmm… interesting about the “hei bi” — we call it “hibe” in the Philippines. looks really good! may have to prepare this this weekend for the hubby.
January 12th, 2007 at 6:13 am
[…] Yich’s dried shrimp-shrimp-scallop-kailan stir fry. Kailan is sold here as “Gailan”. […]
January 12th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
I was puttin my scallops cravings on-hold after RM’s new year celebration scallops. Now it’s your turn….I dunno how long more I can hold it there. Scallops are on my list but with so many backlog of “wanna trys”…aiyo….
If I can’t hold it any longer, will walk to TJs and buy me some scallops, manz!
January 12th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Good planning. Too bad I don’t have that skill.
January 12th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
OMG, I thought I am still recovering from my shellfish overload, but after looking at your frolicking shrimps and scallops now I will have to eat more…I can never grow tired of shellfish now can I?
The crust on the scallops look killer!
January 12th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Stef - Thanks for dropping by! This dish is really delicious, even without the dried shrimp to flavor the wok first.
Tiga! Go buy the scallops la… they are so easy to cook. Just add salt and pepper then sear.
DF - I know you have that skill within you. It’s just waiting for the right opportunity to show. :)
RM - I made this after looking at YOUR scallops pictures! My keyboard was wet with drool.
January 13th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
This wok dish is really delicious. Thx for the information
January 13th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
[…] Right now, Simcook’s Bursting with Flavor Shrimp, Scallops and Gailan is waiting to be served. Gotta go eat!! malaysian cuisine, nasi lemak, rasa malaysia […]
January 13th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Hi Wok Fusion, Thanks for stopping by. Try it and let me know how it goes!
January 14th, 2007 at 9:14 am
[…] J liked my Stir Fried Kailan with Scallops and Shrimp so much that he requested that I cook the same again. However as you already know, it’s not easy to maintain a food blog, so I have to cook something new right? […]
January 20th, 2007 at 6:30 am
[…] The original recipe came from SIM Cooks. I just adapted it to suit our family of 6. The ingredients are listed, but do refer to her recipe for instructions. It is a multi-stepped recipe, but the shrimp stock can be prepared ahead of time. As you can see, mine didn’t crust as beautifully as Yich’s, but it was still delicious. I also chose to top the dish with a tablespoon or so of the dried-shrimp mixture, just for extra flavor and a bit of crunch. […]