A stir fry based on Chinese chives, shrimp and cashew nuts that dares to claim dominion over all other stir fries. Dare you tango with the King of the Wok?

Time: 3/5
A couple minutes of prep behind every minute in the wok

Effort: 3/5
A good pair of kitchen shears will save you a lot of trouble with the shrimp

King of the Wok

A stir fry simply can’t be made in large quantities, a lesson that I learned the hard way. Even though they’re time- and labour-intensive, stir fries are still part of my culinary heritage and something I want to get better at. I’ve made it a habit of late to practice stir frying whenever I have some free time on my hands.

This weekend, I attempted a stir fry based on Chinese chives, or 韭菜 (gau choi / jiu cai ). Both fresh and dried shrimp provide plenty of savouriness, while cashews give it crunch and texture. It’s a combination known as 小炒皇 ( siu chaau wong / xiao cao wang – loosely translated, Stir Fry Supreme or King of Stir Fries) in the diners of Hong Kong, and when done well has strong credence to its claim.

If I may offer a word of advice, be wary of ordering stir fries from any place where you cannot hear the jet-engine roar of industrial-strength gas stoves necessary for wok hei. Although home cooks rarely have access to this essential element, we can compensate to a degree by reducing the quantity of food to improve the heat output to ingredient ratio. Read my recipe for a Pork and Pepper stir fry for more home cook stir frying tips.

For those of you trying to reduce your meat intake, this is a good dish to try. The star of the show is the chives, while the shrimp plays a supporting role. You won’t miss the absence of meat, between the umami from the dried shrimp and the crunch of the cashews. Check out the other recipes in the Carnivore Rehab series for similar ideas.

If you’re looking for other ways to use shrimp, try a quick and easy Old Bay Shrimp, or a light yet warming Tom Yum Kung.

Dramatis Personae

Chinese Chives – 100-150g pax

Chinese chives have different textures throughout their life cycle. Traditionally, this dish uses chives that are about to blossom (i.e. 韭菜花 – gau choi faa / jiu cai hua) but as you can imagine their availability is seasonal. I couldn’t get that so I just used plain old Chinese chives, which are a bit more stringy. Wash well, and cut into 4-6 inch segments.

Substitute with other green alliums, such as Japanese leeks (negi) or garlic shoots.

Cashews – a handful pax

They bring crunchiness to the dish, for a textural contrast. You could get them already roasted, or you could get them raw and cook them yourself. My mother would microwave them in salted water, but if you’re using a small batch like I am you can toast them in the pan with some oil until golden brown in colour before the rest of the ingredients go in. Be careful if you go down this route though, as cashews burn easily. Use low heat and stir vigorously.

Shrimp – 100g pax

Shrimp is a bit of a fussy ingredient. They taste good when browned, but overcook easily. You really do have to blast them with very high heat, and allow for carry-over cooking. Even so, it is hard to achieve quality results without the sort of jet engine stovetops at a proper restaurant. Compromise by working in very small batches, and by lowering your expectations.

Generally, the larger the shrimp, the better the texture and the less danger of overcooking. If you peel them yourself, hang on to the shells (you could keep them in the freezer) for some shrimp stock.

Don’t worry if you can’t use all of the shrimp you bought – save them for some Tom Yum Kung.

Aromatics

Dried shrimp is a key ingredient. The larger they are, the better they are at becoming another component in the stir fry with a distinctive flavour and texture (small dried shrimp, like I used, tend to get lost in the mass of leeks). However, they also get pricey as they get bigger. Compromise according to your own financial situation.

A handful, about 40g, will serve two. You will have to give them a quick rinse and soak them for a few hours in water to soften them up, or if you’re in a hurry use hot water. Hang on to the soaking liquid – it’s a total umami bomb.

Otherwise, use what you wish. Any combination of garlic, shallots, ginger, chilli peppers etc will work well.

Sauce

Create a slurry with the dried shrimp soaking liquid, soy sauce, oyster sauce and corn starch. If desired, sweeten with sugar. Optionally, finish with a touch of sesame oil for an extra aromatic kick.

Executive summary

1. Give dried shrimp a rinse, then a soak in fresh water – 3-4 hours in cold water, or 1 hour in hot water if in a hurry.
2. Cook rice. Prepare stir fry ingredients. Take dried shrimp out of the water, and use it to make the slurry/sauce.
3. Put a wok over low heat with some oil. Toast cashew nuts until browned and fragrant. Reserve.
4. Turn heat to as high as it will go. Sear fresh shrimp on both sides and reserve.
5. Go in with aromatics and dried shrimp. Give them a brief stir.
6. When aromatics and dried shrimp are fragrant, add chives.
7. When chives are almost done, return fresh shrimp and cashews to wok. Add sauce, and toss to coat.

Play by Play

Stir fries happen quickly, so you have to get all the ingredients ready and together before you begin to put anything in the pan.

Here’s how I like to peel and devein shrimp. I make a cut down the back through the shell, which makes it easy to peel the shell right off. I left the tails on for presentation, but if I was eating alone I would take them off too. You can then go back with a toothpick and pull the guts out.

Toast your cashews in some oil. Use gentle heat and stir often, for they burn easily. You can see some of mine getting a little too toasty. Beware of carryover cooking – they will continue to brown after you take them off the heat.

Once the cashews are done and out, crank the heat up to as high as it goes. The heat stays high from this point onwards. Let your pan preheat, then lay down your shrimp in one layer. Drain your shrimp well and pat them dry, lest you suffer the watery fate I did. Moisture is the enemy of wok hei.

Brown well on one side. Flip and give it a cursory sear on the other side, but remove the shrimp and reserve before it cooks through completely. It will continue to cook when we combine everything, so you have to allow for that. If in doubt, err on the side of under-doneness.

Aromatics go into the pan. Give it a quick stir, until fragrant.

Chives in, after about a minute. The greener, tougher parts need a head start, so add them before the whiter parts. Stir fry until very slightly wilted. In retrospect, this is way too much volume for a domestic stovetop to properly fry. I would have gotten better results if I halved the amount.

Return all the other ingredients and toss with the slurry sauce. Give it a little stir before you add it in, the corn starch tends to settle in the bottom and clump up if it isn’t re-incorporated. The slurry will thicken as it comes into contact with heat and coat the individual ingredients. Stir to combine and serve.

Ta-daa! Time to take a bite with some rice to see if this stir fry indeed reigns supreme.

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