Recipe/Directions for Chop Suey (Low Sodium)

Directions

Chop the hakusai into bite-size pieces and the carrot into thin rectangular slices. Remove the hard base from shiitake mushrooms and slice diagonally into 3 pieces each. Diagonally slice the negi up into 1 cm (0.4 in.) width pieces. Slice a diagonal criss-cross pattern into the surface of the squid, then chop into bite-size pieces. Leaving the tails attached, peel the shrimp, devein, cut open the tail tip, rinse in water, then remove excess moisture. Cut the pork up into 4 to 5 cm (2 in.) length pieces, and drain the quail eggs.
Place the pork, shrimps and squid into a bowl, add and massage in (A).
Place 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil into a fry pan over low-medium heat, stir-fry (2) to cook through, then remove from the fry pan.
Use paper towel to quickly clean the fry pan, add in 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil to saute the vegetables (1) until cooked through. then return (3) to the fry pan. Add in (B) and the quail eggs, then bring to a quick boil.
Add in (C) to thicken the cooking liquids and then use a circular motion to drizzle on the sesame oil to finish.

Checkpoints

Shimeji mushrooms - cutting off the hard base

Many of the shimeji mushrooms available in stores have been cultivated in mushroom beds, causing the roots to be tighly squeezed together. To some the chaff is attached, so be sure to cut away this hard base before using.

Squid - clean and prepare

Pull off the tentacles

Taking care not to tear the innards, pull the tentacles and innards away from the body.

Remove the quill (cuttlebone)

Pull out the quill or cuttlebone (thin, clear sliver of cartilage) inside of the body. Remove any remaining innards inside of the body by scraping with a knife, then rinse with water and dry off.

Remove the wings (ears)

Place your fingers into the wings (or ears) and part attached to the body, from here pull the wings off of the body.

Peel off the skin

Starting where you removed the wings, peel off the skin by peeling around and off sideways as opposed to lengthwise. If you use a dry paper towel to grab onto the skin it will not slip in your fingers and peeling off will be easier.

Cut open the body

When cutting into rings is not required, cut open the body. To do so, fold over at the part where the wings were attached, lay your knife down sideways inside of the fold and slice open.

Prepare the tentacles

Place your knife blade just below the eyes and cut away the tentacles and innards. Place your knife into the cylindrical part and spread the tentacles, remove the hard beak and eyes. Scrape off small suction cups with your knife blade and cut away large ones.

Place your knife blade just below the eyes and cut away the tentacles and innards. Place your knife into the cylindrical part and spread the tentacles, remove the hard beak and eyes. Scrape off small suction cups with your knife blade and cut away large ones.

Remove the ink sac

To prepare salted squid guts and grilled squid guts, gently pull the ink sac away from the innards.

Devein Shrimp

Shrimp or prawns have a dark-colored intestinal tract (often called a vein) running down the length of their back, this needs to be removed. For shrimps in shells, before removing the shell, place a toothpick into the 2nd to 3rd abdominal segment from the head and gently remove this. By slightly bending the back this process is made easier. For headless shrimp, quite often the intestinal tract has been removed with the head.

Shrimp - cutting open the tail tip to remove water

When deep-frying shrimp for tempura, cut off the tip of the tail and use the tip of a kitchen knife to drain and scrape out any water that has accumulated there. By doing so you can prevent hot oil splattering.