Quick Cook: Stir Fried Choy Sum with Chinese Fish Cake

You can find prepared fish paste at any Asian grocery, often in both plain and seasoned varieties. We prefer buying the plain version and adding our own flavorings. such as chopped scallion or cilantro, grated ginger and/or a drizzle of soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Fish paste can be formed into a patty and fried for dishes like this, but it can also be used to make fish balls for soup and noodle dishes, as well as used as a filling for stuffed tofu or vegetable dishes.

You can use just about any Asian green, leafy vegetable in this recipe, but we particularly love choy sum because of the textural contrast of crunchy stems and soft, tender leaves, as well as its vibrant green color. Be sure to choose bunches of choy sum with thinner, tender stems and unblemished leaves.

Stir Fried Choy Sum with Chinese Fish Cake

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound choy sum

12 ounces fish paste (seasoned to taste, see note above)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or more as needed

1 or 2 thick slices fresh ginger

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with the back of a wooden spoon but left whole

2 or 3 whole dried chiles (optional)

Soy sauce, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil for serving

Fried shallots (optional garnish)

Directions:

Trim bottoms of choy sum. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add several big pinches of salt. Blanch the choy sum for about 30 seconds, until the stems and leaves turn a more vibrant shade of green. Remove choy sum from blanching water, drain, pat dry and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot and the oil begins to shimmer, add the fish paste and press it down with the back of a wooden spoon to form a patty about ½-inch thick. Fry for 4 or 5 minutes or until the underside is golden, then flip and brown the second side. Remove the fish patty from the pan and cut it into ¼-inch thick slices.

If needed add a bit more oil to the pan, so you have 1 to 1½ tablespoons. Increase heat to medium-high. When the pan is hot, add the ginger slices, smashed garlic cloves and whole dried chiles. Stir fry until aromatic, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the blanched, drained choy sum and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the sliced fish cake and continue to stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the fish cake is heated through. Remove the garlic, ginger and dried chiles and discard. Serve, drizzled with soy sauce, oyster sauce and toasted sesame oil and garnished with crispy shallots, with hot cooked rice.

San Francisco food writers Stacie Dong and Simran Singh’s blog, A Little Yumminess (www.alittleyum.com), focuses on family food adventures and recipes with global flavors.

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