Help me stir fry

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midlomel1971
midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
in Recipes
I’m not very experienced with stir frying. I have thawed shrimp, a bag of frozen stir fry veggies and a jar of stir fry sauce. What do I do?

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  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    Are the shrimp green or cooked?
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
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    They were frozen bagged shrimp and I’m thawing them so they need to be cooked.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    @crazyravr, uncooked shrimp are called green shrimp.

    OP - I stir-fry from fresh, frozen vegies wouldn't have what I consider a stir fry consistency/texture. I'd just bung what you have in a pan and heat it up - perhaps cook your shrimp first and remove them so they don't overcook.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
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    Thanks! I knew that frozen stir-fry veggies weren't the best option, but I'm trying to use up stuff in my pantry and freezer so I'm making do. Thanks for the ideas!
  • BrSpiritus
    BrSpiritus Posts: 190 Member
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    Stir frying relies on the Maillard Reaction to bring out the best flavor so you want fresh dry ingredients which create a fond when fried then when you add your sauce you're deglazing the pan and incorporating all that flavor.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
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    So my stir-fry turned out wonderful and it was so quick to make!

    I started out with a super-hot electric skillet. (I have a cheap wok that I hate and an electric flat-top oven...not optimal for woks.) I was worried because I didn't have sesame oil, so I used grapeseed oil. I heated up the oil so it was hot and threw in the frozen veggies. (I used a Wegmans Japanese stir-fry blend.) I stir-fried them a few minutes until they were warm and still crispy, then I removed them onto a plate and dried them with paper towels. Then I stir-fried the shrimp for a few minutes. Then I added about 1/4 cup stir-fry sauce to the skillet over the shrimp and added the veggies back in and mixed it all. I sprinkled some sesame seeds on it while it cooked for another minute. I served it over cauliflower rice and it was SO GOOD! Better than I expected....delicious. The veggies were still crisp. This will be a regular meal in my rotation.

    You were right, Crazyravr...it took less than 10 minutes. Next time I'll add some aromatics but I was severely pressed for time tonight. I am really excited about leftovers for my lunch tomorrow. I was proud of myself...I feel like I can stir-fry now!
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    I wouldn't recommend actually cooking in sesame oil - If you want the taste, add in a little at the end :)
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
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    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    I wouldn't recommend actually cooking in sesame oil - If you want the taste, add in a little at the end :)

    Good to know. See? I know nothing!
  • semperfly
    semperfly Posts: 28 Member
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    midlomel1971 wrote: »
    I’m not very experienced with stir frying. I have thawed shrimp, a bag of frozen stir fry veggies and a jar of stir fry sauce. What do I do?

    Check out Yummly.com I have used many recipes from that app. You can search by ingredients or Stir fry, or whatever. Most of the recipes also have the nutrition breakdown. Just used it tonight for a scallop recipe.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,624 Member
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    This is my Szechuan mom's stir fry technique.

    Season and dredge the protein in corn starch or potato starch, which helps keep meat tender. Get the wok very hot and add an oil that can reach a high temperature without smoking (so no sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil). Stir fry the protein first until almost done. Remove from the wok. Stir fry the veg a minute or two with flavourings that need proper cooking such as minced garlic or ginger or chilli, and then toss in your sauce to help the veg cook in the moisture. When veg is about done, return the protein to the pan and warm it through. Finish with a few drops of sesame oil or other delicate flavourings such as sesame seeds, chive, coriander, green onion.

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