Instruction

• Dried shrimp gives this Chinese dish a punch of salty umami flavor
• You can find it at an Asian grocery store in the frozen or refrigerated section
• Look for small-sized dried shrimp, about a 1/4-inch in size
• If you use medium or large dried shrimp, hydrate the shrimp with more water (1 cup for medium-sized shrimp, 1 1/4 cup for large) and for longer time (45 to 60 minutes), then chop it up into smaller 1/4-inch chunks
• To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the dried shrimp and use four or five dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated, and sliced thin
• Rehydrate the dried shrimp: Place the dried shrimp in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over it
• Cover with a small plate and let sit for 30 minutes so the shrimp can rehydrate
• The shrimp will be lighter in color and plump up slightly
• Prep the cabbage: Meanwhile, split the napa cabbage in half lengthwise
• Rinse the cabbage and shake it dry
• Cut out the core of the cabbage and discard
• Set out two large bowls
• Cut the remaining cabbage into 1-inch pieces, putting the thicker white pieces at the bottom of the cabbage into one bowl and the top thinner leafy green pieces into the other bowl
• Drain the shrimp: Once the shrimp has rehydrated, drain it and discard the liquid
• Cook the shrimp and cabbage: In a large wok or skillet over high heat add the peanut oil, swirling it around to coat the pan
• Heat until the oil looks shimmering hot, then carefully add the scallions, ginger, and rehydrated shrimp, paying specially attention as the wet ingredients may cause the hot oil to splatter
• Toss with a spatula until the scallions are bright green and the entire mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute
• Add the thicker white part of the napa cabbage to the pan and lower the heat to medium high
• Continue to cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the edges of the cabbage pieces start to look slightly translucent but the center of the cabbage pieces are still opaque white
• Reduce the heat to medium low and add the leafy green pieces of cabbage into the pan
• Cook until the leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes
• Make a cornstarch slurry: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, cold water, and cornstarch, stirring to make a slurry
• Then pour over the cabbage and continue to cook and stir until a sauce has thickened slightly to the consistency of whole milk
• Season the stir fry: Season the stir fry with salt and pepper, then taste and add more salt and pepper if you wish
• The cabbage will be translucent and silky looking, with specks of dried shrimp all over