Freestyle Stir-Fry
Use as many or as few ingredients as you like - it's freestyle!
Dried shitake mushrooms must be rehydrated; add to a bowl of water & let soak for about at least 6 hours
Ingredients
- pot of boiling salted water
- broccoli, chopped
- *rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, mushroom water strained & reserved
- carrots, peeled & sliced thin
- Asian squash, cubed
- about 2 tsp grapeseed oil
- ginger, peeled & sliced
- lemongrass, sliced thin
- napa cabbage, julienne
- red bell pepper, julienne
- baby bok choy
- slivered almonds
- five-spice pressed tofu, cubed
- vermicelli
- garlic cloves, minced
- aji mirin (sweet cooking rice seasoning)
- Chinese rice cooking wine
- sesame oil
- dried cranberries
- chili garlic sauce
- kosher salt
- scallion stalk, sliced thin
- baby arugula
- fresh cilantro, leaves & stems
For The Bahn Mi (Sandwich)
- warm baguette, sliced
- olive oil-flavored mayonnaise
Special Equipment
- wok
- handled skimmer/strainer
How-to
- Rehydrate mushrooms by soaking in a bowl of water for about 6 hours; remove mushrooms, strain and reserve water
- Wash and dry all vegetables and herbs. Slice all the vegetables thinly; this will speed up the cooking time. Slice scallions and rough chop cilantro
- Boil water, add salt and blanch carrots, squash, broccoli and mushroom for 4-5 minutes
- Prepare to add stir-fry ingredients. The key to stir-fry is that the oil has to be very hot. Heat about 2 tsp grapeseed oil in a wok. Add lemongrass and ginger and cook for 5 minutes, until you smell the flavors. Meanwhile, soak dry vermicelli for 5 minutes in lukewarm water
- Add garlic and all the vegetables, tofu, dried cranberries, vermicelli, stirring constantly
- Deglaze with aji mirin and Chinese rice cooking wine for 5 minutes. Check seasonings and add ½ cup of reserved mushroom water, chili garlic sauce and sesame oil. Add scallions and arugula and stir to combine and heat through
- Plate and garnish with scallions and cilantro
Make Báhn Mi (Sandwich)
- Toast baguette and slice
- Spread generously with olive oil mayo
- Top with stir-fry