Tallarin Saltado Chifa (Shrimp Stir Fry)

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Tallarin Saltado Chifa, Shrimp Stir Fry

Tallarin Saltado Chifa, Shrimp Stir Fry

salteado n. — from saltear v. to stir-fry, as in a wok for Chifa dishes

In Lima, Chinese-Peruvian cuisine, or Chifa, has become so popular in the past century, that today it is our comfort food. From home kitchens to restaurants, cooks all over the city call the ingredients in Chifa dishes by their Cantonese name instead of the proper Spanish. Ginger? Not gengibre, in Lima it’s kion. Soy sauce? Not soya, in Lima it’s siao. Snow peas? Not arvejas, in Lima it’s jolantao.

Of all the Chifa dishes, the stir-fry is one of the most ubiquitous, and the key to preparing this shrimp and noodle stir-fry is to divide the preparation into four parts and set-up your mise en place accordingly. First, cook the tallarin, or noodles. Second, prepare the sweet and sour sauce. Then sauté the shrimp. Finally, sauté the vegetables, and quickly mix in the shrimp, sauce, and noodles.

INGREDIENTS FOR NOODLES
  • 2 servings of regular dry Italian spaghetti noodles, about 100 grams
  • boiling water to cook the noodles
INGREDIENTS FOR SAUCE
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
INGREDIENTS FOR SHRIMP
  • 16 shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2-4 tablespoons cooking oil
INGREDIENTS FOR STIR FRY
  • 2-4 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 2 teaspoons garlic paste
  • 1/2 red onion, cut into feathers, about 1 cup
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares, about 1 cup
  • 1 cup snow peas, cut diagonally
  • white part of 2 green onions, cut into rounds
  • green part of 2 green onions, cut into 2 inch tubes
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 2-4 teaspoons sesame oil

In addition to the ingredients above, you’ll need a large pot with boiling water to cook the noodles, a small bowl to mix the sauce, and a large non-stick skillet to sauté the shrimp and vegetables.

PREPARATION FOR NOODLES
  1. Fill a large pot with enough water to cook spaghetti, bring to a boil
  2. Add spaghetti and cook for 10-12 minutes
  3. Strain spaghetti, rinse with cold water, set aside
PREPARATION FOR SAUCE
  1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce
  2. Stir sauce with a fork to mix well, set aside
PREPARATION FOR SHRIMP
  1. Heat cooking oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat
  2. Add the shrimp and sauté each side for 1-2 minutes
  3. Turn off heat, remove shrimp from skillet, set aside
PREPARATION FOR STIR FRY
  1. Heat cooking oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat
  2. Add the ginger, garlic, red onion, red pepper, snow peas, and white part of green onions, stir-fry for 1 minute
  3. Add shrimp, toss quickly, and immediately add the sweet and sour sauce
  4. Add the noodles, green part of green onions, bean sprouts, and mix well
  5. Add the sesame oil, stir-fry for another 30 seconds, then remove from heat
  6. Serve immediately, family style in a large platter
SERVINGS

4 servings.

NOTES

To make garlic paste, purée peeled garlic cloves with enough olive oil to create a smooth paste. Refrigerate the garlic paste in an airtight jar and use in a recipe as you would minced garlic.

The key to the sauce is to find the balance between savory, sweet, and sour flavors. Use a soy sauce with reduced sodium made with tamari that won’t overwhelm the other flavors in the sauce. Use equal parts sugar and white wine vinegar but taste the sauce and adjust if needed.