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| Corkscrew Swamp |
This recipe is a standard in the Naples Goodin household. We it recipe when Portia, Paul and I visited Naples last summer, and I really like how it uses just enough meat to provide flavor.
This dish takes some knifework and benefits from a mise en
place setup, but once you get cooking it goes fast. A good way to stretch a
little meat a long way or to cut down your meat intake.
Ingredients:
Canola or other neutral oil
Sesame oil
1/2 lb boneless sirloin steak (prep is easier if it is
slightly frozen)
a knob of ginger half the length of your thumb
2 large carrots
Some broccoli stems or kohlrabi if you like
1 large onion
12 scallions, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
4-5 cheap dried shiitakes
1/2 bag of spinach
2-4 oz bean-starch or potato-starch noodle, often called “glass”
or “cellophane”
at least 2 Tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions:
For the mise en place:
Pour boiling water to cover over the noodles and set
aside.
Pour boiling water to cover over the shiitakes, cover and
set aside.
Dry toast the sesame seeds in a skillet until they just
start to color.
Cut the steak into 1/4 x 1/4 inch matchsticks and set aside.
Grate the carrots (and broccoli) on a large-hole grater
and set aside.
Peel the onion, slice through the poles and then
crosswise into fine strips.
Grate the ginger on small-hole grater and set aside.
Wash and dry your spinach if necessary. Line a dinner
plate with plastic wrap. Pile as much spinach on it as will reasonably fit.
Microwave on high for 1 minute. Invert
the plate on a cutting board and peel back the plastic. Using a chef’s knife,
cut the cake of spinach crosswise into 3/4 inch “pillows.” Set aside.
When all is ready put a large skillet over medium high
heat and add 1 Tbsp canola and 1 tsp sesame oils. Stir fry the steak bits until
they lose their moisture and start to brown. Squeeze the ginger juice over the
meat as it cooks. Dump into an oversized serving dish.
Add more oils and stir fry the carrots and broccoli just until
they lose their crunch. Dump. Repeat the process with the onions, scallions
and garlic. Dump.
Drain and press the shiitake, and cut off any woody
stems. Cut the caps into strips and stir fry with the sliced mushrooms briefly.
Dump. Drain the noodles and roughly chop into 1 inch lengths. Stir fry in the
oils for a minute, add the soy sauce and dump. Mix all ingredients together and
sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4. Pass with extra soy sauce if you like.
