By Neil Perry
Succulent scallops turn a simple stir-fry into a feast – especially when a hearty pot of chicken rice comes to the table, too.
The scallops can, of course, be replaced with most other seafood (and, for that matter, add whatever vegetable you like to the stir-fry). If you were to use prawns or a firm white fish, you could also consider replacing the oyster sauce with hot bean paste; the fish would handle the chilli.
Stir-fried sea scallops and beans with oyster sauce.Credit: William Meppem
Stir-fried sea scallops and beans with oyster sauce
4 tbsp peanut oil
10 large sea scallops
100g green beans, topped and tailed, cut into 8cm lengths
2 green (spring) onions, cut into 8cm lengths, green and white part, plus 2 extra, finely chopped, to serve
small knob ginger, peeled and finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp yellow bean soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp chicken stock
freshly ground white pepper
1 long red chilli, seeded and julienned
1 small handful coriander leaves
Serves 4 as part of a shared banquet
Heat a wok until smoking.
Add half the peanut oil and, when hot, quickly stir-fry the scallops in batches until almost cooked through; remove and wipe the wok clean.
Reheat the wok with another tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the beans and green onions until just tender, then remove from the wok.
Heat the last tablespoon of oil in the wok and stir-fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant.
Deglaze the wok with the Shaoxing wine, then add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce and stock and simmer for 2 minutes. Return the cooked scallops, beans and green onions to the wok and toss together.
Spoon into a bowl, give it a good grind of white pepper and sprinkle with the chilli strips, coriander leaves and chopped green onions to serve.
2 cups long-grain rice, washed
3 cups chicken stock
4 chicken thigh fillets, cut into small cubes
1 Chinese sausage, sliced
6 dried black mushrooms, soaked, simmered until cooked and quartered
4cm knob ginger, thinly julienned
1 green (spring) onion, green and white part, thinly julienned
Marinade
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Shoaxing wine
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp cornflour
Serves 4 as part of a shared banquet
Soak a clay pot in water for 24 hours before using.
Put the rice in the clay pot with the chicken stock, cover and cook over low heat with a heat diffuser for about 20 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, mix all the marinade ingredients together and pour over the chicken, mixing well.
When the rice has cooked for 20 minutes, spread the marinated chicken, Chinese sausage, mushrooms and sliced ginger on top. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Then mix everything through the rice, sprinkle with green onions and serve.
HOT TIPS
Clay-pot rice is a cross between boiled and fried rice. The rice takes on great flavour and you can put in anything you are fond of, such as dried shrimps, bacon, bamboo shoots or water chestnuts.
I often like to mix in a beaten egg when I'm folding everything through the rice. It gives the dish a luscious texture I'm really in love with.
SOMETHING TO DRINK
Beaujolais
The Domaine du Vissoux produces some of the most delicious Beaujolais available. Light and full of vibrant, juicy red fruits, the 2010 Domaine du Vissoux Les Griottes Beaujolais (about $30) will be a perfect match for the clay-pot chicken rice.