Palbochae (Eight-Treasure Stir-fry)
Easy Homemade Palbochae with Assorted Seafood: A Simplified Recipe
Craving delicious Chinese cuisine but find it difficult to gather all the ingredients? This recipe is for you! Learn how to effortlessly create a flavorful Palbochae using readily available assorted seafood. It’s a simplified method perfect for home cooks.
Main Ingredients- 400g assorted seafood (frozen or thawed)
- 2 baby bok choy
- 2 red chilies (or red bell pepper)
- 1 handful of mushrooms (e.g., shiitake, enoki)
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch slurry (1 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp chili oil
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 0.5 Tbsp soy sauce
- A pinch of black pepper
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, gently rinse the assorted seafood under cold running water. This helps remove any impurities and keeps the seafood fresh.
Step 2
Bring a pot of water to a boil, enough to cover the seafood. Once boiling, add the seafood and blanch it for a very short time. Immediately drain and rinse under cold water. Be careful not to overcook, as this can make the seafood tough.
Step 3
Strain the blanching liquid through a sieve to collect the clear seafood broth. This broth will be used to add depth of flavor to your Palbochae.
Step 4
Remove the stems from the red chilies, deseed them, and cut them into large triangular pieces. You can also use red bell pepper for a similar color and milder flavor.
Step 5
Wash the baby bok choy thoroughly. Trim the base slightly and cut each stalk lengthwise in half. This allows the sauce to penetrate better and enhances the flavor. If they are very large, you can cut them into quarters. Smaller ones can be left whole.
Step 6
While traditional Palbochae often includes ingredients like bamboo shoots or sea cucumber, we’re simplifying it for home cooking. If you do use bamboo shoots, cut them into bite-sized pieces (about an inch long), scrape off any lime coating with a fork, and blanch them briefly. For this simple version, we’re omitting them. For a more visually appealing and flavorful dish, you could use separate shrimp and squid, but we’re keeping it easy today. Prepare the garlic by slicing it thinly. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat with a little oil. Add the sliced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Then, add 0.5 Tbsp of soy sauce and stir-fry quickly over high heat. Pouring the soy sauce around the edges of the wok can impart a nice smoky flavor.
Step 7
If you have any cooking wine like soju or Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine), pour a little around the edge of the wok. The alcohol will flare up and create a wonderful ‘wok hei’ (breath of the wok) flavor. Add the blanched seafood to the wok, along with the oyster sauce and black pepper. Stir-fry quickly to coat the seafood evenly.
Step 8
Pour in the reserved seafood broth until it generously covers the ingredients. This broth is key to the moistness and rich flavor of the Palbochae.
Step 9
Add your chosen mushrooms. If you have shiitake mushrooms, slicing them thinly will add a great aroma and texture. I’m using enoki mushrooms here as they were readily available.
Step 10
Once the broth starts to simmer, add the prepared red chilies (or bell pepper) and baby bok choy. Stir-fry for just a minute or two until the vegetables are tender-crisp. We want to retain their fresh crunch.
Step 11
Now, gradually add the cornstarch slurry, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat. Finish by drizzling in 1 Tbsp of chili oil and 1 Tbsp of sesame oil for that final burst of flavor and aroma. Your delicious Palbochae is ready! A little tip: If you use plenty of broth and fry some glutinous rice crackers, you can serve this as a delightful crispy rice soup (Nurungji Tang) too. Enjoy!
