Chinese Seafood Recipes - Crawfish and Mixed Vegetables

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons sliced shelled frozen crawfish

• 3 teaspoons corn-flour

• sprinkle pepper

• salt, sugar

• good pinch Ve-Tsin (M.S.G.)

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon ginger sherry

• 3 tablespoons cucumber

• 3 tablespoons carrots

• 3 tablespoons canned bamboo shoots

• 3 tablespoons canned water chestnuts

• 2-3 tablespoons peanut oil

• 1/4 pint (U.S. 5/8 cup) chicken stock

• 1 dessertspoon water

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Method:

1. First prepare the crawfish. Mix very well with 2 teaspoons corn-flour, pinch salt and sugar, Ve-Tsin, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger sherry. Leave for the time being.

2. Cut the sliced vegetables into strips and keep the raw ones and canned ones separate. Heat the oil. Fry the cucumber and carrots in it for 1 minute.

3. Add the bamboo shoots and chestnuts with another pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes, moving them about. Add the stock.

4. Bring to the boil and stir in the remaining corn-flour, blended with the water. Cook for a further 1 1/2 minutes. Turn all into a heated dish and keep hot.

5. Wipe out the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil and make it hot. Turn the crawfish into it and toss and stir for 3 minutes.

6. Add the liquid drained from the vegetables and cook for1/2 minute. Add the vegetables and cook for 1/2 minute. Turn all into a heated dish.

7. To make the Ginger sherry: Cut 1-2 oz. fresh ginger into thin strips. Turn the strips into a bottle and cover with a warm brown sherry. Leave to infuse, strain and use as directed. For 2 oz. fresh ginger, half a bottle of sherry will be the right amount to add.

Note: If the sauce tends to be thin, add 1/2 teaspoon corn-flour, blended with 1 teaspoon water, and boil for 1 1/2 minutes before adding the vegetables and proceeding as above.

Other shellfish, such as lobster, Pacific prawns and even scallops when seasonable, can be used in the same way.