Quick & Easy Chinese (26 page)

In a medium bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and salt, stirring well to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the shrimp and turn to season them evenly with the marinade. Cover, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or as long as 2 hours.

To cook the shrimp, place them on skewers if using, or on the lightly oiled surface of a hot grill. Cook 2 minutes on one side, and then turn to cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes more. Cut into a large shrimp at its plumpest part to see whether it is cooked through completely.

Transfer the shrimp to a serving plate and serve hot or warm with Tangy Plum Sauce or Sweet-and-Sour Dipping Sauce.

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons dry sherry or Shaoxing rice wine

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

½ cup chopped red bell pepper (½-inch chunks)

¾ pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

¾ cup chopped zucchini (½-inch chunks)

3 tablespoons chopped green onion

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sherry, salt, and sugar, stirring well to dissolve the salt and sugar.

Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the ginger and garlic and toss well. Scatter in the bell peppers and toss until shiny, fragrant, and beginning to wilt.

Add the shrimp and spread them out into a single layer. Cook undisturbed until the edges change color, about 30 seconds. Toss well and then add the zucchini. Cook, tossing often, until most of the shrimp are pink, about 1 minute.

Add the soy sauce mixture, pouring it in around the sides of the pan. Toss well and cook until the zucchini and peppers are tender and the shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the green onion and toss again. Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot or warm.

1 pound red snapper, tilapia, or flounder fillets

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

About
¹
/
₃
cup vegetable oil

Cut the fish crosswise into 2-inch pieces and set aside on a plate. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt and stir with a fork or a whisk to combine them well. Set out a serving plate with a small bowl and spoon on it, in which to present the sauce.

Dip the fish fillets into the seasoned flour and coat them well. Shake off any excess flour, return the fish to the plate, and place it by the stove.

In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and mix everything well. Stir in the green onion, ginger, and garlic. Transfer the sauce to the serving bowl on the serving platter and set aside.

Just before serving time, cook the fish. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until a pinch of flour dropped in to the oil blooms at once. Carefully add about half the fish and let it cook on one side undisturbed until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the fish to cook on the other side for about 2 minutes more.

When the fish fillets are done, transfer them to the serving plate. Repeat with the remaining fish pieces. Spoon some sauce over each piece and serve at once.