With amazing wok-charred flavors, this Stir-Fried Shrimp and Asparagus in Black Bean Sauce is simply irresistible.
While I’m visiting my family in Japan, I’ve asked several blogger friends to blog-sit for me and today’s sitter is Ray from Work with Ray.
I love visiting Ray’s blog and I know you will, too. He’s what I would call a “master of savory dishes.” A lot of Asian savory dishes tend to be brown color from the soy sauce and sometimes it’s not easy to capture the flavor in photographs no matter how delicious the food might be. I often struggle a lot trying to take pictures with “brown” foods; however, Ray knows exactly what to do and make all the dishes such drool-worthy photography. I’ve been trying to learn the skills and improve for the past several months from Ray’s photography techniques.
Filipino food is mysterious to me since we don’t really have Filipino restaurants around. However, Ray has introduced so many signature dishes from the Philippines and I wish that I lived in Southern California so that I can call his catering service for my parties. If you live in Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley, and Los Angeles Area, you are in luck! His favorites among his foods include Sweet and Sour Fish and Grilled Pork Belly with Mango Salad and you can even have them catered for your party!
Now please welcome Ray with a quick and easy Stir-Fried Shrimp & Asparagus dish.
*****
I am thrilled, honored, and at the same time nervous about guest posting here at Just One Cookbook. Why am I nervous? We are talking about Nami’s blog here. Well, let me rewind to about a year ago. The very first time I wandered around Just One Cookbook, I felt like a kid visiting in a big toy store for the first time. I said to myself… wow I wish my blog is as beautiful as this. I also wandered around the comment section and I saw the big names in there. So now why am I nervous? (Sigh).
I was born and lived in the Philippines before moving to California in 1982. I am a self-taught home cook and also a caterer that specializes in Filipino and other Asian home-style cooking. Even though I am a self-taught home cook, my influence in cooking came from relatives of cooks who ran restaurant businesses in the past. But my biggest influence was from my late parents who had an unbelievable passion for cooking.
Although blogging is a fun activity, I take it very seriously because it plays a big role in my catering business. Blogging is where I can showcase my menu, my recipes, and the presentation of the food that I serve and to the customers I serve. Actually, a lot of the recipes that I share in Wok with Ray are the very same dishes that I cater; and why not? If I can inspire readers to cook for their families and friends on a regular dinner meal, I’ll be happy.
Okay, what I have for you is a dish that is really easy to make; so easy that even Ray can do it. Why did I choose an easy recipe? Hehe, I’m a guy! Guys like easy cooking so they can go back to the couch and watch the game. So where was I? Oh yes, the recipe. Well, what we are cooking today is Shrimp and Asparagus stir-fried in black bean sauce. This is a dish that is perfect on a weeknight meals. Just prep the shrimp, cut the asparagus, make the sauce, and stir fry.
So here is the recipe and I hope you all enjoy it. I want to thank you for your time reading my post and of course a very BIG thanks to you Nami for this opportunity of guest posting on your beautiful blog. It is truly an honor!
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Stir Fried Shrimp & Asparagus in Black Bean Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp (deveined, peeled)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp potato starch or cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp dry sherry
- 1 bundle asparagus spears (cut to 1" (2.5 cm) long)
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil (for stir frying)
- 1 Tbsp garlic (finely minced)
- 2 Tbsp ginger (finely minced)
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper (red pepper flakes) (optional)
Sauce:
- 1 cup chicken stock/broth
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp black bean sauce
Sauce Thickener:
- 2 Tbsp chicken stock/broth
- 1 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine and mix shrimp, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, ½ tsp cornstarch, and 1 Tbsp dry sherry then set it aside for about 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl then set aside.
- Combine the thickener ingredients in a small bowl then set aside.
- Place a wok over high heat then wait until wok becomes very hot. Add 1 Tbsp oil then swirl side to side to coat with oil. Please be careful when doing this.
- When the oil is hot, add ginger and garlic then sauté for about 20 seconds.
- Add shrimp, and optional red pepper flakes then stir fry until shrimp become light pink. Remove and transfer shrimp in a plate then set aside.
- Add 1 Tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, add asparagus. Stir fry asparagus for about 1 minute.
- Stir in the sauce and then let it boil.
- Return shrimp in the wok.
- Stir in cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce thickens. Serve immediately with rice.
This dish was so easy to make and such a hit with the family!
Salamat:)
Hi Misha! Thanks for trying Ray’s recipe. His recipes are wonderful and I’m so glad you got to enjoy this! Thank you for your feedback!
Oh wow, this looks wonderful! Absolutely my kind of dish! Thank you so much for sharing! 😀
Hi Ray, what a fantastic and flavorful dish! I adore black bean sauce, and asparagus is always a favorite 🙂
I love asparagus, and the combination with shrimps seems great!
Dear Ray,
I love prawns with asparagus but never thought of stir frying it with black bean sauce. I can see how that would give it a good salt complexity and bring out all the flavours in the vegetable and seafood. Well done.
This is simply wonderful. We can’t do shrimp due to an allergy but I think this would be fab with chicken. Would black bean sauce work with steak? I love me some steak. The photo of the asparagus made me pass out. Gorgeous!
I’ve never tried black bean sauce. This dish sounds so yummy. Asparagus is not usually my favorite vegetable but maybe this dish will change my mind 🙂
Hi Nami,
I just want to thank you again for having me and for the privilege of presenting my humble dish. It’s been a pleasure to have met so many wonderful food bloggers. Thank you, everyone!
~ ray ~
i love the healthy asparagus there 🙂
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Hi Ray – great to read your guest post here… thanks for stopping by my site the other day. I must say your dish looks fantastic. I’m a massive fan of shrimp (but to be honest, who isn’t???) – I could eat it by the bucket and asparagus and black bean sauce is a wonderful combination too… it’s something I always go for when I’m at my favourite chinese restaurant (the black bean sauce… I’ve never seen them serve asparagus to be honest). Thanks for sharing this lovely creation with the world! 🙂
Thank you very much, Charles and I’m glad to have found and to follow your blog. 🙂
ohhh! This is so yummy! It would be my definition of comfort food! I could eat this every day!!! Always a pleasure to know another wonderful blogger!
what a great post! I love it and the black bean sauce sounds out of this world! Hope your having a great time Nami!
So nice to see you and Ray, collaborating on a delicious guest post! I am a huge fan of quick, simple and delicious stir-fry’s, especially with asparagus 😀