Appeasing the Kitchen God
Wellness in the kitchen, feng-shui style
Usher in the Year of the Tiger on February 1 with an auspicious stir-fry.The word for lettuce in Cantonese, saang choi, is a homonym for “giving birth to wealth” and shiitake mushrooms symbolize prosperity. When stir-frying a leafy vegetable, it is important to remove water with a salad spinner until the leaves are dry to the touch. Any excess moisture will cool the wok and turn the stir-fry into a braise.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 medium head of Romaine, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces (about 1 pound)
- 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
Preparation
In a small bowl combine the rice wine, broth and soy sauce. In a separate small bowl combine the salt, sugar and pepper.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the oil, add the ginger and stir-fry 10 seconds or until the ginger is fragrant. Add the lettuce and mushrooms, sprinkle on the salt mixture and stir-fry 1 minute or until the lettuce begins to wilt. Swirl the rice wine mixture into the wok and stir-fry 1 minute or until the lettuce is crisp-tender and the mushrooms are just cooked. (Serves 4 as a vegetable side dish.)
About this recipe
By Grace Young, author of Stir Frying to the Sky’s Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories (Simon & Schuster), winner of the 2011 James Beard Best International Cookbook Award. Photo courtesy of Grace Young.
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