Sichuan Scallops with Whole Garlic
1 min readDa Suan Gan Bei
2 tablespoons groundnut or vegetable oil
Vateaspoon salt
4teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
8 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole and blanched
1tablespoon peeled and finely chopped fresh root ginger
3 shallots or 1 small onion, sliced
2tablespoons shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2tablespoons chicken stock
500g raw shelled scallops, including the corals
1teaspoon chilli bean sauce
2teaspoons dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2teaspoon chillioil
1teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions, white part only Va teaspoon roasted ground Sichuan peppercorns Chinese love scallops, and stir-frying prevents them from overcooking while highlighting their distinctive flavour.
Here, whole garlic is treated as a vegetable, which makes it wonderfully sweet.
1. Heat a wok over a high heat until it is hot, then add the groundnut or vegetable oil. When the oil is hot and slightly smoking, add the salt, pepper, garlic, ginger and shallots or onion. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the rice wine or sherry and stock. Cook the mixture for 1 minute.
2. Add the scallops and stir-fry for 1 minute. Then add the rest of the ingredients except the spring onions and ground Sichuan peppercorns. Continue to stir-fry for 4 minutes or until the scallops are firm and thoroughly coated with the sauce. Add the spring onions and ground peppercorns and stir-fry for another minute. Serve at once, with rice and a soup for a light meal.
