Napa Cabbage with Dried Shrimp (Chinese Seafood)

Dried shrimp give this Chinese dish a touch of salty, umami flavor. You can find it at an Asian grocery store in the frozen or refrigerated section. Look for small dried shrimp, about 1/4 inch. If using medium or large dried shrimp, hydrate them with more water (1 cup for medium shrimp, 1 1/4 cups for large) and for longer (45 to 60 minutes), then cut them into smaller 1/4-inch pieces. To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the dried shrimp and use four or five dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and thinly sliced.

Rehydrate dried shrimp:
Place the dried shrimp in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Cover with a small plate and let sit for 30 minutes to allow the shrimp to rehydrate. The shrimp will be lighter in color and slightly plump.

Prepare the cabbage:
Meanwhile, cut the napa cabbage in half lengthwise. Rinse the cabbage and shake dry. Cut the core out of the cabbage and discard.

Place two large bowls. Cut the remaining cabbage into 1-inch pieces, placing the thicker white pieces from the bottom of the cabbage in one bowl and the thinner top pieces of green leaves into the other bowl.

Drain the shrimp:
Once the shrimp have rehydrated, drain them and discard the liquid.

Cook shrimp and cabbage:
In a wok or large skillet over high heat, add the peanut oil, swirling to coat the pan.

Heat until the oil looks shiny, then carefully add the scallions, ginger, and rehydrated shrimp, paying special attention as wet ingredients can cause hot oil to splatter. Mix with a spatula until the scallions are bright green and the entire mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the thicker white part of the napa cabbage to the pan and lower the heat to medium-high. Continue cooking and stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the edges of the cabbage pieces begin to look slightly translucent but the center of the cabbage pieces is still opaque white.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the leafy green cabbage pieces to the pan. Cook until the leaves soften, about 2 minutes.

Make a cornstarch mixture:
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, cold water, and cornstarch, stirring to form a slurry. Then pour over the cabbage and continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens slightly and has the consistency of whole milk.

Season the stir fry:
Season the stir-fry with salt and pepper, then taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. The cabbage will be translucent and silky-looking, with flecks of dried shrimp all over it.

foods：
2 tablespoons dried shrimp
3/4 cup boiling water
1 head of Napa cabbage
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 chopped chives
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon of water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper