Chinese shrimp fried rice recipe

How to Prepare / Make / Cook - ?Chinese shrimp fried rice recipe

Squid, naturally low in fat, is an excellent choice for stir-frying, but it becomes tough and rubbery if overcooked. The squid body should be scored and blanched before stir-frying so it will cook quickly. Most markets now offer squid already cleaned. If you need to clean it yourself, see the direction below.

The Chinese also use dried squid, which is golden in color; it must be softened and reconstituted in water before using. Sometimes a combination of fresh and dried squid is used. I prefer fresh squid because it’s more tender than the dried kind.

1 pound fresh squid, cleaned
3 tablespoons canola, corn, or peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
2 slices unpeeled gingerroot, 1 X 1/8 inch each
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal
½ green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 cup broccoli florets
2 cups bok choy chunks
1 small onion, quartered
½ cup Chinese chicken broth (page 64) or canned chicken broth
2 tablespoons fermented black beans, chopped
1 cup snow peas, ends snapped off and strings removed
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

1. Rinse the squid thoroughly, inside and out, with cold water and drain. Cut down 1 side of the body tube and spread out flat with the inside facing up. Lightly score the flesh in a fine crisscross pattern and cut into pieces about 2 to 3 inches square. If the head with the tentacles is large, cut it in half. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, remove from the heat, and plunge the squid in the water for 15 seconds. The squid will turn opaque and it will curl. Immediately drain in a colander and rinse in cold water to stop further cooking. Shake out excess water and drain thoroughly. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil with the garlic and gingerroot in a wok or stir-fry pan over high heat, stirring until the oil is hot but not smoking; the garlic and gingerroot will sizzle and become fragrant. Add all the vegetables except the snow peas. Stir for about 30 seconds. Add the broth, reduce the heat to medium, and cover the pan. Cook, covered, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

3. Return the heat to high and add the blanched squid, black beans, and snow peas. Stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Taste and add salt, if necessary. Add the cornstarch slurry. Stir until sauce is thickened. Serve immediately.

Note To clean squid, peel off and discard the spotted skin from the body. Rinse the body and tentacles thoroughly. Pull off the head and tentacles together. The intestines will follow. Cut the tentacles from the head and reserve. Discard the remainder. Be sure to remove and discard the small hard beak at the center of the tentacles if it is still attached. Pull out the long, clear cartilagelike quill from the center of the body and discard. Rinse the cleaned body and tentacles in cold water and drain thoroughly.