Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers

I've been craving Chinese food a bit lately and had found some cheap pork chops at the grocery store, so this recipe seemed like a perfect candidate for a weeknight dinner. At first, I was a bit turned off by the name, but there's nothing fishy about this dish. The end result is salty, sweet, sour and spicy ... everything you could want in a Chinese dish! If you mix together everything while your mushrooms are soaking, the dish comes together very quickly and easily. Don't forget the rice to soak up the sauce!

As far as changed to the recipe go, I did omit bamboo shoots (and the alternative of celery stalks). It's supposed to add a crunchy element to the dish, but I also served a side of sliced daikon (turnips!), so I felt it wasn't needed.

One year ago: Gingerbread Cupcakes
Two years ago: Mediterranean Couscous and Lentil Salad

Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers (from Land of Plenty)

Ingredients
a small handful of dried cloud ear mushrooms
280g boneless pork loin (meat from pork chops)
salt
peanut oil
2 tbsp pickled chili paste
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic
2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
2 scallions, green parts only, very thinly sliced
marinade
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water
1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
sauce
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp black Chinese vinegar
3/4 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/8 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp chicken stock or water

1. Cover cloud ear mushrooms in very hot water and soak for 30 minutes.
2. Cut pork into thin slices and cut these into long, fine slivers. Place in bowl, add marinade ingredients, and stir to combine.
3. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Thinly slice cloud ear mushrooms, discarding any knobby bits.
5. Season wok and add 1/4 cup of cool oil and reheat over high flame.
6. When oil is beginning to smoke, add pork and stir-fry.
7. As soon as strips have separated, push to one side of wok, tip the wok toward the other side, and tip the chili paste into the space you have created.
8. Stir-fry until oil is red and fragrant and then add garlic and ginger and mix everything together, tilting the wok back to normal.
9. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds or until you smell the garlic and ginger.
10. Add mushrooms and stir-fry briefly, until just hot.
11. Stir the sauce in its bowl and add to wok. Stir to incorporate, add scallions, toss briefly, and turn onto a serving dish.