10/27/2007

Seafood Mango Stir Fry


INGREDIENTS:
SERVES 2-3
1 lb. mixed seafood (e.g. shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and denser fillets of fish, such as halibut or salmon)
1 fresh ripe mango, cut into bite-size pieces, OR 1 cup canned mango (drained) or frozen mango (thawed )
1-2 cups snow peas
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 shallots OR 1 small cooking onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced

STIR FRY SAUCE:
1 fresh mango, peeled and sliced, or the equivalent of 1 cup canned mango (drained) or frozen mango (thawed)
1 red chili pepper, de-seeded, OR 1-3 tsp. chili sauce (depending on how spicy or mild you want it)
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar or white wine vinegar (OR substitute regular white vinegar)
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
squeeze of lime juice (about 1 tsp.) OR substitute lemon
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (more or less according to taste - this will also depend on how sweet your mangos are)
1/2 cup fresh coriander (plus a little more - save to use for garnish later)

Preparation:

1. Place all stir fry sauce ingredients together in a blender or food processor.
2. Taste-test the stir fry sauce for sweetness - you want a balance of flavors here: tangy, but definitely more sweet than sour. If needed, add 1 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. more sugar. Note: the sweetness of the sauce will depend on how sweet your mangos are.
3. Prepare all other ingredients for stir-frying, and place next to the stove. If using fillets of fish, gently cut them into cubes (cubes stay together better than strips). For shrimp, be sure to remove the shells (you can leave the tail on). For clams and mussels, rinse with cold water, removing any surface debris.
4. Pour 1-2 Tbsp. vegetable oil into a wok or large frying pan and place over medium-heat heat. Add the garlic, shallots/onion, and snow peas. If using clams, add them now as well (Note: clams require a longer cooking time than mussels). Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, or until snow peas turn bright green. Add up to 1/3 of the stir-fry sauce when your wok or frying pan becomes dry.
5. Add the rest of the stir-fry sauce, plus the red pepper and seafood. Stir-fry gently, so that you don't break any shells. Also, if using fish fillets, these require extra gentleness, or they will break apart.
6. Stir-fry 5-7 minutes, or until all the seafood is cooked (mussels and/or clams should open after 7 minutes - if not, discard). A minute or two just before serving, add the mango pieces (these just need warming).
7. Serve hot from the wok with rice on the side. Or, scoop the stir fry onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with fresh coriander and decorate with lime wedges, if desired. ENJOY!

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