Cantonese Stir-Fry

As I am neither Chinese nor have access to a wok, this is my approximation of South Asian food using a crock-pot.  It tastes like the food I was served in Guangzhou, China and looks along the lines of Mu Xu Pork (an Americanized version of a Northern Chinese dish).   Make what you will of it, but this slow-cooker stir-fry was dang good.  The flavors were subtle and balanced—far from the Thai and Vietnamese neighboring cuisines.  But don’t let that send you fleeing!  Light, balanced flavors can be as equally satisfying as spicy or savory. J  It’s Monk food, not British Beef-eater’s mushy peas.

If you are not feeling adventurous enough to attempt slow stir-frying in a crock pot, this recipe could be easily made using the traditional method on a stove-top.  Try swapping out veggies with what-ever is in season to make it crisp and new.

Ingredients:

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp shoyu

1 tsp rice vinegar

½ clove garlic, minced

½ 8oz pk seitan, in ½ in. chunks

½ cup carrots, sliced

½ onion, half-moon sliced

½ cup broccoli florrets

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Coconut/sesame oil, for oiling wok/crock pot

½ cup cooked rice

Cilantro and/or green onions, for garnish

Peanut sauce or Hoisin sauce

            -to make peanut sauce: 1 tbsp nutbutter + 1 tsp rice vinegar + 1 tsp shoyu + ½ tsp powdered ginger + 1 tsp sugar/syrup; whisk rapidly w/ a fork

Directions:

To turn the crock-pot into a wok, you need to get the inner pot superhot.  Inferno hot.  To do this, turn the pot onto the HIGH setting and let it sit covered for about 20min.  Don’t turn it off.  Don’t peak inside (why would you?  It is just heating…). Don’t unplug it and decide to move it elsewhere.  Just leave the pot to turn painfully toasty.

Meanwhile, occupy yourself with making the stir-fry bits.  In a large bowl, mix together the sesame oil, vinegar, shoyu and garlic.  Add the chunks of seitan and whirl about to coat.

If you haven’t already chopped the veggies, do so now.  Add those to the seitan mix.   Allow everything to just sit for a while until the crock-pot is ready (at least 20min, remember!).

Oil the inside of the crock-pot by folding up a paper towel, dipping it in the coconut/sesame oil and running it along the inside of the pot to coat.  Watch your hands as you do this, the oil will become very hot rather quickly.  Cover the pot and let sit for about a minute to ensure the oil is well heated.  Then, dump the veggie-seitan mixture into the crockpot.

 Use a spatula or long handled spoon to toss the vegetables about in the pot.  Cover and allow to sit for about 5 minutes—this will allow the crock-pot to cook/sear the outside of the vegetables within its limited capabilities.  After 5 minutes, uncover and flip the vegetables about, again.  Replace cover and allow stir-fry to sit for 5 minutes.  Continue to do this flip-cover-for-5-minutes system until the vegetables are cooked through to your liking. (The broccoli was tender enough for me after 3 flip-sit sessions).

Turn crock pot off and move onto preparing your plate.  Spread the cooked rice out on the plate and then slide the stir-fry out on top of the rice. Drizzle a tbsp or two (or three :P) of your desired sauce over the entire concoction and top it all off with a few snips of cilantro and green onion.  Garnishes are where Cantonese food acquires most of its “zing.”  So, if you are feeling like the stir-fry is missin a little somethin somethin, do not shy away from you condiments.  A little sauce and cilantro (or coriander as it is named in Asia) can go a long way.

 Màn màn chī and xiè xiè!

Cheers, kaite k ;]