Chinese Seafood Bird Nest Banquet Dish

Method16 steps · about 1 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash and prepare the vegetables and aromatics as listed before starting the hot wok sequence: peel and julienne the taro, slice ginger and garlic, cut the scallion whites, carrot, pepper and onion, rinse and drain ready cooked bamboo shoots, clean the mushrooms and trim the snap peas. If using the optional thickener, mix 1½ tbsp cornstarch with the separate 1½ tbsp warm water and hold beside the wok. Spread all 4 cups julienned taro in a criss-cross layer inside a large steel mesh strainer, with strands extending over its rim. Set a second matching strainer inside it to hold the nest shape between them. Keep the taro’s natural starch on its strands for adhesion.

   Uses 4 cups peeled, julienned taro · Unmeasured produce washing/rinsing water, drained and discarded · Optional full 1½ tbsp cornstarch to prepare the slurry · Optional full 1½ tbsp warm slurry water

   
2. 2

   Step 2: In a deep wok or pot large enough for the strainers, heat the separate 6 cups canola oil to 325°F (about 163°C). Leave ample space above the oil for bubbling and displacement. Carefully lower the taro-filled strainers into the oil and fry, tilting with secure heat-resistant utensils, until the strands are golden, crisp and cooked through all around. Lift and drain the nest, carefully release it from both strainers and set it on the serving plate. Keep the frying reservoir separate from the later wok oil.

   Uses The formed taro basket from step 1; optional slurry and prepared vegetables remain separate · Full 6-cup canola-oil frying reservoir; retained basket oil is unmeasured

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Peel and devein all six shrimp, remove any tough side muscles from the six scallops, and keep the seafood chilled until blanching. Have the measured 1 cup chicken stock hot and ready for the final wok sequence; heat it in a small saucepan if necessary.

   Uses 6 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (16–20 size; about 6 oz/170 g total) · 6 large sea scallops (about 6 oz/170 g total) · 1 cup hot chicken stock

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Clean the squid (170 g): separate its tentacles and mantle and remove the internal organs and hard pen. Retain the tentacles. Open the mantle into flat pieces, cut into 2-by-3-inch (about 5-by-7.6-cm) rectangles and score diagonally in both directions without cutting through. Keep the cleaned pieces and tentacles chilled until blanching.

   Uses 170 g whole squid (cleaned)

5. 5

   Step 5: Bring the 6 cups blanching water to a full boil in the wok. Add the shrimp and scallops, stirring gently for about 20 seconds until they begin to turn opaque. Lift onto a clean holding plate with a strainer, leaving the same water in the wok for the squid. This is only a preliminary blanch; finish cooking the seafood immediately in the later wok stages.

   Initial shrimp and scallop blanch: 20 seconds · 1 minUses All 6 cups separate seafood-blanching water · All six cleaned shrimp and six scallops from step 3, excluding its separate hot stock

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Add the prepared squid to the same hot blanching water. Blanch for about 10 seconds until the scored pieces curl, then lift onto a clean holding plate. Keep the briefly blanched seafood ready for the immediate wok finish. Discard the blanching water; it is separate from the measured chicken stock.

   Initial squid blanch: 10 seconds · 1 minUses The same hot blanching water retained from step 5; held shrimp and scallops are excluded · All scored mantle pieces and tentacles prepared in step 4

   
7. 7

   Step 7: After discarding the blanching water, dry the wok. Heat it over medium-high heat and spread 2 tbsp from the separate stir-fry oil supply around it until the oil shimmers. Leave the unused 1 tbsp allowance separate.

   Uses 2 tbsp from the separate 3-tbsp wok-oil supply; leave 1 tbsp unused

8. 8

   Step 8: Add all eight ginger slices to the hot wok oil and stir-fry for about 10 seconds.

   Fry ginger for 10 seconds · 1 minUses All 2 tbsp heated wok oil from step 7 · 8 fresh ginger slices, ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick

9. 9

   Step 9: Add the sliced white parts of both scallions (2) and the two sliced garlic cloves. Stir-fry for another 10 seconds.

   Fry scallion whites and garlic for 10 seconds · 1 minUses All ginger and oil from step 8 · 2 scallions (white parts only, sliced at an angle into 3.8 cm pieces) · 2 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)

10. 10

    Step 10: Add the sliced half carrot, ½ cup ready cooked bamboo shoots and quarter bell pepper. Turn the heat to high and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

    Fry carrot, bamboo and pepper for 30 seconds · 1 minUses All aromatics and oil from step 9 · ½ carrot, cut into ⅛-inch (3 mm) slices, optionally star-shaped · ½ cup cooked or canned bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained · ¼ red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

11. 11

    Step 11: Add all ½ cup straw mushrooms, 1 cup trimmed snap peas and the chopped small red onion (1). Stir to combine with the first vegetables.

    Uses All first vegetables, aromatics and oil from step 10 · ½ cup straw mushrooms, fresh or canned · 1 cup sugar snap peas, tips removed · 1 small red onion (cut into 2.5 cm pieces)

12. 12

    Step 12: Add all the held shrimp, scallops and squid, then the 2 tsp Shaoxing wine. Stir-fry everything for another 1 minute before adding the hot stock.

    Stir-fry seafood and wine for 1 minute · 1 minUses All vegetables and aromatics from step 11 · All drained shrimp and scallops held from step 5; blanching water is excluded · All drained squid held from step 6; discarded water is excluded · 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine

13. 13

    Step 13: Pour in the measured 1 cup hot chicken stock and bring the mixture up toward a boil, stirring over high heat.

    Uses All seafood, vegetables and aromatics from step 12 · All measured 1 cup hot stock readied in step 3, separate from its seafood preparation

14. 14

    Step 14: As the mixture comes up to a boil, add the 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp sugar, ⅛ tsp white pepper and ½ tsp sesame oil. Stir thoroughly. Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender-crisp and every shrimp, scallop and squid piece is fully opaque and cooked through; seafood should reach 63°C/145°F. Taste with a clean spoon only after the seafood is fully cooked.

    Uses All seafood, vegetables and stock from step 13 · 1 teaspoon salt · ¼ teaspoon sugar · ⅛ tsp ground white pepper · ½ teaspoon sesame oil

15. 15

    Step 15: If using the optional thickener, stir the prepared cornstarch slurry again and add it gradually while stirring the bubbling sauce. Stop when the sauce lightly coats the seafood and vegetables; any unused slurry stays separate. The slurry may be omitted.

    Uses All fully cooked seafood, vegetables and sauce from step 14 · If using it, stir and add only enough of the optional slurry from step 1 to lightly coat the ingredients; unused slurry remains separate

16. 16

    Step 16: Carefully spoon the hot seafood, vegetables and coating sauce into the cooked taro basket. Serve immediately, sharing between six portions so the taro stays crisp.

    Uses The drained golden taro basket from step 2, excluding its separate frying reservoir · The hot seafood/vegetable mixture lifted from step 15, excluding any unused slurry