Scallops with Sugar Snap Peas (蜜豆帶子, Mat6 Dau6 Daai3 Zi2)

This recipe was updated on 18 May 2015. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed.

 

Scallops are always a treat to eat. Frozen 60/80 scallops were used for this dish, meaning that there are 60-80 scallops per pound (500 g.). You can use larger scallops, but the 60/80’s are readily available at my local Asian market. If you can get fresh scallops, that’s always best and the dish will taste even better.

Whole coin mushrooms were used to make this dish. This type of Shiitake mushroom is so named because of the size resemblance to large coins and is available at your local Asian market. Regular Shiitake mushrooms, cut into pieces, can be substituted if the coin mushrooms are not available.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	350 g.	Scallops (帶子, daai3 zi2)
¼ lb.	115 g.	Sugar snap peas (蜜豆, mat6 dau6)
10-12	10-12	Dried whole coin (金錢菇, gam1 cin4 gu1) or Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung1 gu1), rehydrated  - cut Shiitake mushrooms into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung1), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) lengths on the diagonal
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
		Oil for cooking

 

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
2 tsp.	10 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
4 tsp.	20 ml.	Water

 

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

 

Preparation Instructions

1. If using frozen scallops, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the thawed or fresh scallops from the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
2. Pour boiling water over the dried coin or Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Take the coin or Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. Use the coin mushrooms whole or cut the Shiitake mushrooms into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process.
3. Wash the sugar snap peas. Remove the string by holding each sugar snap pea in one hand and pulling the end with the other the length of the sugar snap pea.
4. Wash and cut the green onions into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal.
5. Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
6. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat a wok or pan over high heat and before adding oil. Add the scallops to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and brown the outside. You may have to cook the scallops in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Set the scallops aside in a bowl.
2. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the coin or Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then remove them to the bowl with the scallops.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the sugar snap peas. Add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid to facilitate heat transfer and stir fry the sugar snap peas to brown them. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Add the green onions and the contents of the bowl with the scallops back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
4. Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid to the wok. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish and serve with steamed rice.