Stir-fried Squid or Cuttlefish

Even though name of this Korean dish is “Stir-fried Squid” I always use cuttlefish because it is much thicker, larger and easier to work with. Also, I cut each cuttlefish in 2 pieces and then I cut diamond pattern at bias on the inside side. This way the pieces that are about 3”x2” cook quickly and evenly.

Ingredients

2 cleaned cuttlefish or large squid tubes (about 1Lb)

2 cloves garlic, finally chopped

1” piece of ginger, finally chopped

1/4 c. sake or rice wine

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 Tbs. Sriracha sauce or 2 tsp. hot pepper flakes or to taste

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 green onions or 6 garlic scapes, cut into 2” pieces

1 small or 1/2 large carrot, julienned

12 yellow beans, ends removed and cut in half

12 green beans, ends removed and cut in half

1 tsp. peanut oil

1 tsp. sesame oil

Directions

Lay squid tubes flat on cutting board and cut alongside fold on both sides. Turn over top half to expose inner side. Make diagonal cuts more then half way through about 1/4” apart. Turn 90 ° and repeat. You will now have diamond shaped cuts. Repeat on remaining 3 halves of squid tubes. Cut tube halves into 6 pieces about 2”x3”. Place in prep bowl and marinate in mixture of garlic, ginger, sake, sugar, salt and Sriracha sauce. Marinate in fridge for half an hour.

In a very hot wok add peanut and sesame oil and stir-fry garlic scapes.

 When scapes turn dark green add yellow and green beans and cook for 3 minutes.

Add squids and stir-fry on very high heat till just done. When the squids curl up, they are done, about 1 to 2 minutes, no more.

Serve immediately with bowl of steamed rice.

Spicy Beef & Broccoli with Rice Noodles

What a nice and relatively easy meal this is. Just marinade the beef and prepare vegetables, soak rice noodles and you are on your way. I can publish detailed recipe if you ask for it. We just love anything that has rice noodles in it. I just wish I had access to fresh rice noodles like I had back in High Park area in Toronto.

Shanghai Flat Noodle Stir Fry

Let’s just say that I had a hard time to figure out what do I call tonight’s dish. It is my original creation based on what I bought in Chinese market and what else was available to me. Even though I bought new carbon steel round bottom wok and seasoned it same day I didn’t want to use it till I stir-fry some green onions and garlic in it to remove the metallic taste. So, my trusty 12” pan was called to duty.

Anyway, fresh ingredients from market were flat Shanghai noodles, fresh water chestnuts and Lap Chong (Chinese sausage). I bought 2 kinds but in this dish I used pork and duck liver Lap Chong. I have used this sausage before many times but never correctly. I have never steamed it before using it in a recipe. What a difference the 20 minute steaming makes! It is so good! And so was this meal. Let’s just say that my wife was just oo-hing and ah-ing through the whole meal. Of course, the fact that Shanghai flat noodles have incredible texture if cooked correctly doesn’t hurt. Here is just a recall of ingredients and process. Very, very seldom do I use somebody else’s recipes, so do the same, be creative. If I remember correctly I used garlic, ginger, green onions, Chinese black mushrooms, fresh water chestnuts, steamed Lap Chong, green beans, red pepper and chicken tenders. Sauce included soaking water from mushrooms, rice wine, Hoisin sauce, Oyster sauce, Sriracha and sugar. It is another must have again and soon stir fry.

Stir Fried Beef with Red Pepper

While organizing my freezer I came across vacuum packed piece of flank steak. The method of cooking was immediately obvious but what sort of stir fry I will make wasn’t as clear. At the end I have decided that fewer ingredients the better. “Just follow the KISS principle”, I said to myself. Since I had red pepper, asparagus, green and white onions, decision was made for me. I left the flank in a garage to slowly defrost at 4 °C. In the morning it was perfect for slicing it thin. If you are using fresh beef, place it in freezer for about 30 minutes and it will be much easier to slice. Stir frying is very quick method and meat has to be cut very thin, no more then 1/16” to 1/8”. Then it was to decide what sauce it will be cooked in. Out came my favorite and well used cook book by Gloria Bley Miller “The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook” that I bought back in 1981 when I got really serious about Oriental cooking. I still haven’t seen a better Chinese food cookbook. I refer to it all the time for methods and techniques used, there are so many! This cookbook isn’t for a beginner, you have to have a bit of experience to appreciate and use it.

Here goes the simplified recipe inspired by one in this book.

To serve 2

1/2 lb flank steak, thinly sliced

1” ginger, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper

6 asparagus spears cut in half and separated (stems and spears)

2 green onions

1/2 onion, sliced into wedges

water chestnuts, sliced

1Tbs. peanut oil

Marinade:

1 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce

1 Tbs. Sake

2Tbs. Soy sauce

1 Tbs. Corn starch

Sauce:

2Tbs oyster sauce

1 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. sake

1 Tbs. corn starch

Mix all marinade ingredients till smooth and coat all beef slices. Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

Have all ingredients on hand, it will take just a few minutes from start to finish.

Drain marinade (if meat didn’t absorb it) and pat dry.

Preheat well seasoned wok till hot and add cold oil around the sides of wok. Oil should form a haze as soon as it touches sides of wok. Add slices of flank in one layer if possible and let brown (don’t move the meat) for 30 seconds. Flip over with steel spatula and stir fry for another 30 seconds. Remove the meat to preheated bowl and keep warm.

Lower the heat to medium high and sauté garlic and ginger for few seconds.

Add red pepper, asparagus stems, onion wedges and chestnuts. Stir fry for about a minute and then add asparagus tips and half of the green onions. Stir for about 1/2 a minute and increase the heat. Return meat to the wok and add the sauce. Stir till all ingredients are well coated with sauce and serve immediately. Garnish with remaining green onions. Serve with steamed rice.