Usher in the New Year or the Chinese Year of the Snake with an auspicious stir-fry. The word for lettuce in Cantonese, saang choi, is a homonym for “giving birth to wealth” and shiitake mushrooms symbolize prosperity. When stir-frying a leafy vegetable it is important to remove water with a salad spinner until the leaves are dry to the touch. Any excess moisture will cool the wok and turn the stir-fry into a braise.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
- 1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 medium head of Romaine, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces (about 1 pound)
- 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the rice wine, broth and soy sauce. In a separate small bowl combine the salt, sugar and pepper. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the oil, add ginger and stir-fry 10 seconds or until the ginger is fragrant. Add lettuce and mushrooms, sprinkle in the salt mixture and stir-fry 1 minute or until the lettuce begins to wilt. Swirl the rice wine mixture into the wok and stir-fry 1 minute or until the lettuce is crisp-tender and the mushrooms are just cooked.
