WW wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young
This special occasion dish received high marks throughout our group; here are a few words from our members describing this stir-fry: intense, special, rich flavor, decadent, a umami bomb!
Dried scallops are considered a delicacy in China.
The scallops get a soaking for about an hour or more until they are softened and easily shredded.
Mise en place.
Bowl 1: Shallots
Bowl 2: Shiitake mushrooms
Bowl 3: White pepper
Bowl 4: Chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, reserved scallop liquid
Bowl 5: Scallops
This stir-fry is the specialty of Grace's friend George Chew, who serves this at his New Year's Eve celebrations.
As I mentioned, this was a big hit amongst our members; not so much for us though. Sorry Grace and George!! At first bite I thought it had really good flavor, then a fishy aftertaste kicked in which lingered . . . all night long.
Maybe it was the quality of the scallops? Just how does one tell what they are getting as evidenced below.
A word of caution:
Susan, a fellow wokker recommends avoiding this brand like the plague. She purchased these at an Asian market near her for $12.99 for six ounces (the price may have been a clue - for dried scallops can easily go for up to and more than $100 a pound!) She said they never softened as they should after soaking, and they had a rubbery texture and nasty taste. So beware!
If you go to a Chinatown as I did, you will find shops with scallops in very large jars filled to the rim in assorted sizes and prices. The good thing in making a special trip, you can purchase the quantity needed so there is no waste.
We even have a member, Bob, who dried his own! That is one way to make sure you're getting top quality. Want to know how to make your own dried scallops? Join or FB page and type in "scallops" in the search box and scroll through until you come upon Patti's (Bob) post for drying scallops, or just do a Google search. :)
This recipe can be found on page 215 of Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge.
We as a group have agreed not to post the recipes on our blogs.
I have to say, Cathy, when I first saw this across my screen I was so excited! When I read about the overwhelming fishy taste, my excitement diminished a bit… Still, I think I will try it if I can find good quality tried scallops.
ReplyDeleteI too was excited (to make this recipe)! I was bummed to say the least. However as I mentioned at the beginning of my post, several members had great success with this recipe. I hope you are able to find quality scallops and give this a try.
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