Master Recipe
Beef and Broccoli in Garlic Sauce
serves 4
NOTE: After
cooking the beef, steam the broccoli in the same skillet over
medium heat. When the broccoli is tender but still crisp, remove it
to a plate to prevent further cooking. Turn the heat back to high
and finish this dish in a sizzling hot
skillet.
3/4 pound flank steak, boneless, trimmed of fat and sliced thin (see figures 12 and 13)
11/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry or rice wine
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons canned chicken broth
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
5 tablespoons peanut oil
11/4 pounds broccoli, florets broken into bite-sized pieces; stems trimmed, peeled, and cut on diagonal into 1-inch rounds, about 1/8 inch thick
1/3 cup water
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons scallions, whites only, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Toss beef with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and dry sherry in medium bowl; set aside, tossing once or twice.
2. Mix remaining 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce with oyster sauce, chicken broth, and sesame oil in small bowl; set aside.
3. Heat a 12-or 14-inch nonstick skillet over high heat for 3 minutes. Drain beef. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to pan and swirl so oil coats bottom of pan evenly. Heat oil until it just starts to shimmer and smoke. Add half the beef and stir-fry until seared and three-quarters cooked, about 1 minute. Transfer beef to strainer set over clean bowl to keep cooked meat and juices separate. Repeat process with another tablespoon of oil and second batch of beef.
4. Let pan come back up to temperature, about 1 minute. When hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl so oil coats bottom of pan evenly. When oil just starts to smoke, add broccoli and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add water, cover pan, and lower to medium heat. Steam broccoli until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer broccoli to plate lined with clean kitchen towel.
5. Let the pan come up to temperature, about 1 minute. When hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl oil so that it coats bottom of pan evenly. When oil just starts to smoke, add bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Clear center of pan and add garlic, ginger, and scallions, drizzle with remaining tablespoon of oil, and stir-fry until fragrant but not colored, 10 to 15 seconds. Add broccoli back to pan and stir scallions, garlic, and ginger into vegetables for 20 seconds off heat.
6. Add cooked beef and its liquid, stir in sauce, and stir-fry until ingredients are well coated with sauce and sizzling hot, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
VARIATIONS:
Scallops and Broccoli in Garlic Sauce
To achieve a nicely browned exterior, turn scallops only once while stir-frying.
Follow master recipe, substituting 3/4 pound large sea scallops, tendons removed and cut in half through the equator, for flank steak. Reduce amount of soy sauce to 1 tablespoon and use it all in step 2. Omit step 1 (scallops do not need to be marinated) and sherry. Stir-fry scallops in two batches according to step 3 until opaque, 40 to 60 seconds. Proceed as directed.
Bok Choy in Garlic Sauce
Follow master recipe, omitting beef, broccoli, and bell pepper. Prepare bok choy as directed in figures 14 through 16. Reduce amount of soy sauce to 1 tablespoon and use it all in step 2. Omit step 1 (bok choy does not need to be marinated) and sherry. Stir-fry bok choy whites in two batches according to step 3 until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes, and remove from pan. Omit step 4. Substitute bok choy leaves for bell pepper in step 5, adding 1 tablespoon water with leaves and reducing cooking time to 30 seconds. Cook garlic, ginger, and scallions as directed. Add stalks back to pan; stir for 20 seconds off heat. Stir in sauce, stir-fry for 30 seconds, and serve immediately.