Mei Chum Siu Chow

• 1 tablespoon dried shrimp
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1 large red chilli, finely sliced
• 300g Chinese garlic sprouts (Swapsies: wild garlic or garlic shoots)
• 1 stalk of pickled pak choi , diced
• 100g cleaned baby squid mixed with ½ tablespoon corn flour

The Sauce

• 1 teaspoon chilli bean sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
• ½ tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 100ml chicken and vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Soak the dried shrimp in hot water for 15 minutes and then drain through a sieve. Whilst the shrimp are soaking, finely slice the garlic cloves. Finely chop the red chilli and dice the pickled pak choi, then set aside separately ready for the stir fry. Cut the garlic sprouts into 3cm lengths and then blanch them in boiling water in a wok for 3 minutes. Pass through a sieve and then sit the garlic sprouts in a bowl of cold water to stop them from overcooking. Lightly score the squid bodies diagonally and then slice into rough chunks and place in a small bowl or ramekin mixed with ½ tablespoon corn flour. 

Mix together all the ‘The Sauce’ ingredients in a small bowl ready for the stir frying.

Build your wok clock as follows: place the garlic at 12 o’clock on the plate, followed by the red chilli, then the squid, the blanched garlic sprouts, the pickled pak choi, dried shrimp and finally the sauce. This is what I like to call ‘The Wok Clock’, keeping all your ingredients well organised and ready for the quick stir frying that is about to happen. 

Heat 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok to a medium heat. When smoking hot, add the garlic to the wok and stir fry until golden brown, then add the red chilli to the wok and turn the heat up to a high. Once smoking hot once more, add the squid and sear in the wok, folding through once or twice. Keep the wok on a high heat and then add the garlic sprouts, pak choi and dried shimp in, and continue to stir the food through continuously. 

After about 30 seconds, stop stirring and allow the wok to heat up even more, then once smoking hot again, pour the sauce into the wok and bring to a vigorous boil. Stir fry for a further minute and then serve. 

Swapsies / Alternatives: Advice here, keep the garlic, chili, the sauce and pickled pak choi in the recipe. No matter what other meat or veg you use thereafter, you are bound to make any stir fry taste outstanding and unique with this simple combination of flavours. If going fully vegetarian, swap out the oyster sauce with vegetarian stir fry sauce.

This and more recipes are found in Jeremy Pang's Hong Kong Diner