This one is short and sweet. I knew almost immediately what I wanted to make with napa cabbage, a simple stir fry with wilted cabbage. I was in Shanghai, China for 10 days back in 2013, and while I was there I ate at several different types of places. From street food to fine dining and everything in between. But my favorite thing that I ate while I was there was a sandwich off of a street cart. Loaded with flavor and fresh ingredients, and oddly enough the stand out ingredient that I remember the most to this day was a piece of wilted cabbage. The texture and flavor together made me obsessed with cooking crispy greens, and I use it whenever I can. I have a go-to recipe for stir fry sauce, and here it is:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 T sherry wine
2 T brown sugar
2 T corn starch
1 T ginger, minced
1 cup water
Simply add all ingredients to a sauce pot, whisk to combine, bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened. Serves about 6-8 people depending on the portion size. Add a bit more water for consistency if desired. This recipe goes well with basically everything. Veggies, shrimp, chicken, pork, or beef. For this dish I used the flavor pairing recommendations from the Flavor Bible of ground pork, carrots, garlic, mushrooms, sesame seeds, and green onion. A handful of each sauteed ingredient mixed with fresh noodles and some of the stir fry sauce, and you have a wonderful alternative to Chinese take-out!
