Wok on the Wild Side

1 tbs dry sherry
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 lb or less shrimp, cleaned, deveined, butterflied
2 tbs peanut oil
2 tbs fermented black beans, rinsed, drained
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 slices of minced ginger, finely minced
1 small green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 large onion cut in wedges, with layers separated
1 green onion finely chopper
2 tbs cilantro finely chopped

Sauce:
½ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp peanut oil
2 tbs light soy sauce
2 tsp tapioca starch
2 ½ tbs white wine vinegar
½ cup chicken broth

Combine light soy sauce, dry sherry and shrimp and let stand for 15 minutes. Combine ingredients in cooking sauce. Wash pepper and cut into 1 inch pieces. Combine black beans, garlic, and ginger in mortar and pestle. Crush together and set aside.

Heat oil in wok. Add onion, carrot, green pepper and stri-fry until charred. Remove and keep warm. Heat oil in wok. Add shrimp and stir-fry until almost done. Add black bean mixture. Stir-fry, a few seconds. Return onion, carrot and green pepper to wok, stir-frying to mix ingredients. Add cooking sauce. Cook until thickened. Garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro. Serve.

Serves 4

2 tsp tapioca starch
1 tbs light soy sauce
2 tbs dry sherry
¼ tsp each salt and pepper
1 lb flank steak, cut into 2 x 1/4 inch strips
2 tbs peanut oil
2 tbs fermented black beans, rinsed, drained
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 slices of minced ginger, finely minced
1 small green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 large onion cut in wedges, with layers separated
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 tbs cilantro, finely chopped

Sauce:
½ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp peanut oil
2 tbs light soy sauce
2 tsp tapioca starch
2 ½ tbs white wine vinegar
½ cup chicken broth

Combine tapioca starch, dark soy sauce, dry sherry, salt, pepper and flank steak strips, and let stand for 15 minutes. Combine ingredients in cooking sauce. Cut pepper into 1 inch pieces. Combine black beans, garlic and ginger in mortar and pestle. Crush together and set aside.

Heat oil in wok. Add onion, carrot and green pepper and stri-fry until charred. Remove and keep warm. Heat oil in wok. Add flank steaks strips so they form a layer at bottom of wok. Let cook 1 minute, and turn over and continue cooking 1 minute. Add black bean mixture. Stir-fry, until flank steak is done. Return onion, carrot, green pepper to wok. Add cooking sauce. Cook until thickened. Garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro. Serve.

Serves 4

2 tsp tapioca starch
1 tbs dry sherry
1 tbs light soy sauce
¼ tsp each salt and pepper
1 lb or less chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbs peanut oil

Seasonings:
2 tbs fermented black beans, rinsed, drained
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 slices of minced ginger, finely minced
1 small green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 large onion cut in wedges, with layers separated
1 green onion finely chopper
2 tbs cilantro finely chopped

Sauce:
½ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp peanut oil
2 tbs light soy sauce
2 tsp tapioca starch
2 ½ tbs white wine vinegar
½ cup chicken broth

Combine tapioca starch, dark soy sauce, dry sherry, salt, pepper, chicken and let stand for 15 minutes. Combine ingredients in cooking sauce. Cut pepper into 1 inch pieces. Combine black beans, garlic, and ginger in mortar and pestle. Crush together and set aside.

Heat oil in wok. Add onion, carrot and green pepper and stri-fry until charred. Remove and keep warm. Heat oil in wok. Add chicken so it forms one layer in bottom of wok. Let cook 1 minute, and turn over and continue cooking 1 minute. Add black bean mixture. Stir-fry until chicken is done. Return onion, carrot and green pepper to wok. Add cooking sauce. Cook until thickened. Garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro. Serve.

Serves 4

2 tbs peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb or less shrimp, cleaned and butterflied
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs dry sherry
1 bunch broccoli
8 dried black mushrooms, soaked in water (save water for sauce)
½ cup sliced Bamboo shoots

Cooking sauce:
½ cup chicken stock
1 tbs mushroom soy sauce
2 tbs oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ginger, finely minced
1 tbs dry sherry
1 tsp sesame oil
1 ½ tsp tapioca (or corn) starch

Wash broccoli and drain. Cut broccoli in 1 inch pieces. Remove stems from black mushrooms and discard. Save mushroom soaking water. Slice mushrooms into bite sized strips. Mix chicken stock, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, ginger, sherry, sesame oil, tapioca starch and reserved mushroom soaking liquid and set aside.

Combine shrimp, light soy sauce and dry sherry and set aside

Heat oil in wok. Add black mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Stir-fry 1-2 min. Remove from wok and keep warm. Heat oil in wok. Add broccoli and stir-fry 1 min. Add 2 tbs water to wok, lower heat, cover and cook 2 min. Remove cover, increase heat to high, and stir-fry until dry. Remove broccoli and set aside. Heat oil in wok. Add shrimp and garlic. Stir-fry until shrimp are opaque, return mushrooms, bamboo shoots, broccoli and sauce to wok. Stir-fry until thickened. Serve.

Serves 4

1 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp dry sherry
1 lb or less shrimp, cleaned and butterflied
2 tbs peanut oil
1 lb asparagus
2 tbs fermented black beans, rinsed, drained
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 slices of minced ginger, finely minced
1 large onion, cut in wedges, with layers separated
6 water chestnuts, peeled and sliced (Always use fresh water chestnuts. If you can’t find them, jicama makes a great substitute)
water
green onion, chopped

Cooking Sauce:
2 tbs dark soy sauce
1 tbs tapioca starch
¼ tsp sugar
¾ cup chicken broth

Combine light soy sauce, dry sherry and shrimp and let stand for 15 minutes. Combine ingredients in cooking sauce. Wash asparagus, and cut into 1 inch pieces. Combine black beans, garlic and ginger in mortar and pestle. Crush together and set aside.

Heat oil in wok. Add onion and stri-fry until charred. Add water chestnuts and stir-fry 1 minute more. Remove and keep warm. Heat oil in wok. Add asparagus and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add 2 tbs water, cover, lower heat, and cook 2 minutes until asparagus is bright green. Remove and keep warm (with onion). Heat oil in wok. Add shrimp, stir-fry 1 minute. Add black bean mixture. Stir-fry until shrimp is done (barely pink and rubbery). Return onion, asparagus and jicama to wok. Add cooking sauce. Cook until thickened. Garnish with chopped green onion. Serve.

Serves 4

1 tsp tapioca starch
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp dry sherry
1 lb or less chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbs peanut oil
1 lb asparagus
2 tbs fermented black beans, rinsed, drained
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 slices of minced ginger, finely minced
1 large onion, cut in wedges, with layers separated
6 water chestnuts, peeled and sliced (Always use fresh water chestnuts. If you can’t find them, jicama makes a great substitute)
water
green onion, chopped

Cooking Sauce:
2 tbs dark soy sauce
1 tbs tapioca starch
¼ tsp sugar
¾ cup chicken broth

Combine tapioca starch, dark soy sauce, dry sherry and chicken and let stand for 15 minutes. Combine ingredients in cooking sauce. Wash asparagus, and cut into 1 inch pieces. Combine black beans, garlic and ginger in mortar and pestle. Crush together and set aside.

Heat oil in wok. Add onion and stri-fry until charred. Add water chestnuts and stir-fry 1 minute more. Remove and keep warm. Heat oil in wok. Add asparagus and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add 2 tbs water, cover, lower heat, and cook 2 minutes until asparagus is bright green. Remove and keep warm (with onion). Heat oil in wok. Add chicken so it forms one layer in bottom of wok. Let cook 1 minute, and turn over and continue cooking 1 minute. Add black bean mixture. Stir-fry until chicken is done. Return onion and asparagus to wok. Add cooking sauce. Cook until thickened. Garnish with chopped green onion. Serve.

Serves 4