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Fiery Shrimp or Scallop Cashew Stir-Fry

Japanese mirin adds a sweet contrast to the vinegar and red pepper flakes in this stir-fry. Make sure you use unsalted cashews. Makes 4 servings

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons peanut oil

4 medium scallions, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1 pound medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined; 1 pound cleaned sea scallops, each cut into 2 disks; or 1 pound cleaned bay scallops

5 celery ribs, thinly sliced

½ cup roasted unsalted cashews

2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Whisk the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat a large wok or high-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Swirl in the peanut oil, then add the scallions, garlic, and ginger; stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add the shrimp; cook, stirring constantly, just until vaguely pink, about 1 minute. Add the celery and cashews; stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Pour in the soy sauce mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook for 1 minute. Swirl in the cornstarch and water mixture; continue cooking until thickened and bubbling, stirring constantly, for less than 1 minute.

Variations: Substitute 4 cups small broccoli or cauliflower florets for the celery.

Add up to 1 teaspoon red Chinese chili sauce with the red pepper flakes.

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Scallops

Although almost all of a scallop is edible, we only have access to the round muscle that connects the halves of the shell. (The roe is highly prized in many other cultures.)

Scallops are extraordinarily perishable, so they are most often sold out of their shells, cleaned and ready to cook. If yours have a small, tubular muscle still attached to the round disk, remove that muscle and either add it to the dish or discard it; it’s slightly tougher than the disk but fully edible.

There are many scallop species, but they are all collapsed into two at our markets: bay and sea. Bay scallops are found mostly on the East Coast of the United States and Canada. They are small (it takes about 100 to make a pound) and sweet. They cook fast, about half as long as the more standard sea scallops, which are larger (about 30 per pound) and a little more briny.

When purchasing scallops, look for firm, pale beige to pink meat. If starkly white, they have been soaked in water to increase their weight. Use raw scallops within a day of purchase. Since all are sold already cleaned, it’s more economical to buy them individually quick-frozen in large bags and thaw them yourself—exactly as your fishmonger did.

If the recipe calls for the larger sea scallop to be cut in half, cut it through the middle so it forms two disks (not down from the top to form two half-moons).

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Szechuan Shrimp or Scallop Pumpkin Stir-Fry

In this autumnal dish, the pumpkin sweetens the vinegary sauce. Makes 4 servings

3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1½ tablespoons packed light brown sugar

½ teaspoon Asian red chili sauce

One 2-pound pumpkin, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into ½-inch cubes

3 tablespoons peanut oil

12 whole dry Asian red chiles

1 orange, zest only, shaved off in long strips with a vegetable peeler

One 4-inch cinnamon stick, broken into 3 pieces

1 star anise pod

3 medium scallions, chopped

1½ pounds medium shrimp (about 30 per pound), peeled and deveined; 1½ pounds cleaned sea scallops, each cut into 2 disks; or 1½ pounds cleaned bay scallops

Whisk the black vinegar (or its substitutes), soy sauce, brown sugar, and chili sauce in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves; set aside.

Place the pumpkin cubes in a large saucepan, cover them with water to a depth of 1 inch, set the pan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the