Celtnet Recipes Blog

Just when you thought I had finished with the Chinese recipes for this blog, here is another one! A lot of my friends over the years have been Chinese in one way or another (whether Chinese, Chin, Malay-Chinese or Vietnamese-Chines or Chinese-Americans) and I have picked up lots of tips and lots of recipes. I have over 20 years' accumulation of recipes, many accompanied by photographs taken along the way.

I've just started working through these recipes for a forthcoming book and I've decided to put up enough of the recipes on this blog for anyone to use them to create not just a multi-course Chinese meal but, if they wish to do so, a complete Chinese banquet. So, expect a few more Chinese recipes over the coming days.

Today's recipe is for a relatively simple stir-fry of scallops with asparagus, bamboo shoots and carrots. This is ideal as a first course for any dinner, but can also be served as a separate dish in a Chinese-style banquet meal.

Stir-fried Scallops with Asparagus

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

225g (8 oz) scallops
2 tsp salt
225g (8 oz) asparagus
3 tbsp groundnut oil
60g (2 oz) fresh or tinned bamboo shoots, thinly sliced (if using fresh blanch in boiling water for 30 minutes first)
1 small carrot, finely sliced
4 thin slices of fresh ginger
2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 tbsp chicken stock
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch of ground white pepper

Method:

Sprinkle the scallops with 1 tsp salt then set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.

Trim the asparagus, snapping off and any tough bases. Cut into 5cm (2 in) pieces then blanch in a large pan of boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Pre-heat your wok then add 1 tbsp of the groundnut oil. When hot, add the scallops and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Drain the wok and wipe clean with kitchen paper. Add 1 tbsp more of the oil, and use to stir-fry the asparagus, bamboo shoots and carrots for 2 minutes. Season with the remaining salt then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Clean the wok, add the remaining oil and when hot add the ginger and stir-fry until aromatic. Return the scallops and vegetables to the wok then season with white pepper. Sprinkle over the Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry) and stock. Cover the wok and continue cooking for 2 minutes.

Drizzle over the sesame oil, toss to combine and serve immediately.

Below are some other classic Chinese recipes on this blog that you can use in conjunction with this recipe to produce a complete Chinese meal or banquet:

Soups and Starters

Chicken Steamboat Soup

Wonton Soup

Main Dishes

Spicy Szechuan Pork (Meat)

Xinjiang Lamb Casserole

Fish and Seafood Dishes:

Deep-fried River Fish with Chilli Bean Sauce
Stir-fried Scallops with Asparagus

Vegetarian Dishes:
Chinese Vegetable and Coconut Curry

Szechuan Fried Aubergine (Vegetarian)

Noodle Dishes:

Sour and Spicy Pork with Noodles

Seafood Chow Mein (Seafood)