There’s not much about my life now as a parent that resembles my life as a college student in Montreal except for one thing: stir fry. In college, stir fry was the meal I prepared most often. It was cheap. It was easy. It was tasty. I would take the bus to the Jean Talon Market and pick up some fresh vegetables. I didn’t eat meat at the time so all I needed was a little rice and a few secret ingredients. My secret sauce required: fresh ginger, fresh garlic, soy sauce and Hoisin Sauce. If my roommates were home that night, I’d just make a bigger batch and we dined like queens for pennies.
Now that I’m a parent, we still have our penny pinching moments (camp registration just happened folks and I’m reeling), and we have plenty of nights when it’s a mad dash trying to get dinner on the table. In the winter, I’ll grab some frozen vegetables, and in the summer I’ll choose from our CSA stash and we’ll dine on the very same stir fry I made in college.
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Chef Ming Tsai, and he shared his recipe for a stir fry sauce. I think I’m about to upgrade my go-to stir fry experience. My first introduction to Chef Ming Tsai was when he opened Blue Ginger in Wellesley, I was then able to meet Chef Tsai at a book signing when he wrote his Blue Ginger Cookbook. Since then, I have trouble keeping my Simply Ming cookbooks on my bookshelf as friends and family keep borrowing them.
Quick Garlic-Ginger Scallion Stir Fry Sauce
yields 1 Bottle of Stir Fry Sauce
•1 cup minced garlic 1/2 cup minced ginger
•3 bunches scallions chopped ¼ inch thick
•2-3 Serrano peppers, minced
•1 bottle organic vegetarian oyster sauce
•Grapeseed or canola oil to cook
•Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a wok or sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 1-2 tablespoons oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions and peppers and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the oyster sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. When cooled, store in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator. For stir-fry: use only 2-3 tablespoons per recipe for 4.
[Reprinted with permission. Courtesy of Chef Ming Tsai)
