Snow peas with a hint of pork
“We tend to forget the simple pleasure of sweet, glossy, just-cooked snow peas until a steaming bowlful is served up.”
- 100g of trimmed pork loin
- 1 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine
- 1 tbsp of soy sauce
- 100g of snow peas
- 1 tbsp of peanut oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 spring onions
- 1/2 tsp of sugar
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of cornstarch
One of my favourite ways to prepare snow peas is to blanch them for 2-3 minutes in salted boiling water and then to toss them immediately with a good knob of butter and a couple of tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds.
Method
Adapted from Seductions of Rice, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.
Thinly slice 100g of trimmed pork loin and marinate, in a small bowl, with a tablespoon each of Chinese cooking wine and soy sauce for an hour.
Plunge 100g of trimmed snow peas into boiling water for a minute then drain and soak in ice water for another minute before draining again.
Heat a tablespoon of peanut oil in a wok. When it is hot, add 2 minced garlic cloves and 3 spring onions cut into 2cm lengths. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Toss in the pork, with the marinade, and stir-fry for another minute. Add the snow peas, 1/2 teaspoon each of sugar and salt, and 1/2 cup of water. Stir then cover and simmer for a minute. Mix a teaspoon of cornstarch in a tablespoon of water, then add to the wok, stirring well. Cook for a minute or two until the liquid thickens, then serve immediately with rice.
Serves 2.
