Napa Cabbage with Dried Shrimp
Napa cabbage tossed with fragrant dried shrimp — a classic Chinese seafood dish.
By API | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 4
Tags: Seafood, Chinese, Dinner
Ingredients
- 2 g shrimp
- 0.75 cup boiling water
- 1 pcs head napa cabbage
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 4 pcs scallions
- 1 g ginger
- 1 ml soy sauce
- 1 ml water
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 0.5 g peppers
Instructions
- Decide whether to use dried shrimp or a vegetarian option: select small dried shrimp (about 1/4-inch), or if using medium shrimp soak them in 1 cup water for 45–60 minutes; for large shrimp use 1 1/4 cups water for 45–60 minutes and cut them into 1/4-inch pieces after soaking; alternatively omit shrimp and use four or five dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrate and thinly slice them.
- Place the dried shrimp (or the shiitake mushrooms) in a small bowl, pour boiling water over them, cover with a small plate and let stand to rehydrate (about 30 minutes for small shrimp; 45–60 minutes for medium or large shrimp).
- Halve the napa cabbage lengthwise, rinse it, shake off excess water and remove and discard the core.
- Arrange two large bowls and chop the remaining cabbage into 1-inch pieces, putting the thicker white stalks in one bowl and the thinner green leaves in the other.
- Drain the rehydrated shrimp (or shiitake), discard the soaking liquid, and if you used medium or large shrimp, chop them into 1/4-inch pieces.
- Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat, add the peanut oil and tilt the pan to coat the surface.
- When the oil is shimmering hot, carefully add the scallions, ginger and rehydrated shrimp (it may splatter) and toss until the scallions turn bright green and the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the thicker white napa pieces to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-high, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the edges look slightly translucent but the centers remain opaque.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the leafy green cabbage pieces, and cook until the leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, cold water and cornstarch to form a slurry, pour it over the cabbage and continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens slightly to the consistency of whole milk.
- Season the stir-fry with salt and pepper, taste and adjust as needed, and serve when the cabbage is translucent and silky with flecks of dried shrimp throughout.