Yusuke described this stir fry as “Chinese style.” He began by quickly boiling thin strips of zucchini—for about 3 minutes. The shorter the time, the crunchier the zucchini. He then drained the water.
The original recipe that inspired him called for carrots and pork, but we didn’t have either; he opted for shrimp and crimini mushrooms instead. He boiled the mushrooms for 1 minute and drained well.
He combined the three chief elements in a bowl and added:
- 1 tsp sea salt
- a pinch of black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp of lime juice
- 1 tbsp sesame oil (olive or canola would also work)
- a tiny bit of ajinomoto flavour enhancer (MSG! use with caution!)
- a pinch of white sugar
As Yusuke put it, cooking is chemistry!
He just mixed everything up, and that was it.
On the side, we had a nice consommé soup, the picture of which I seem to have misplaced. He used a consommé powder, which I was surprised to note was produced in Israel. I wasn’t really familiar with what consommé actually is, and I’m still not exactly sure how it’s different from other stocks and bouillon. The label said that it was “chicken style,” but chicken isn’t listed in the ingredients. Instead, the word “celery” is in bolded font on the package. Even better. Yusuke said that it’s much easier to find in Japan; he has had a hard time locating it in Canada.
To the broth, he added a pinch of white sugar, a few drops of soy sauce, and ginger. The veggies were bok choy, cubed potatoes, and white onions.
Chez Yusuke 