Sautéed Sturgeon with Ginger-Scallion Sauce by Bert Sackman
Sautéed Sturgeon with Ginger-Scallion Sauce
12 slices fresh sturgeon, each 1/4×2-inches
1 T baking soda
1 egg, white only
2 1/2 t corn starch, divided
4 scallions
10 slices ginger, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch rounds
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 c thinly sliced peeled carrots
1 c sturgeon, chicken or fish stock
Place sturgeon into a big (deep) bowl and add ice cold water from your fridge or regular tap water with some ice cubes to it. Make sure the sturgeon are submerged in water. Add baking soda to the bowl and lightly massage the sturgeon with the baking soda water. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Rinse the sturgeon thoroughly with cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Add egg white and 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch to the sturgeon. Use your hand to blend well while lightly massaging the sturgeon. Cover the bowl of sturgeon with plastic wrap and marinate overnight or for at least 4 hours.
Trim the roots from the scallions and discard any wilted leaves. Separate the dark green parts from the white and light green parts of the scallions. Cut the white and light green parts of the scallions into1-inch pieces and reserve.
Cut enough dark green parts of the scallions into 1/3 cup of thin rings and reserve. Save the rest of the scallion parts for some other use.
Dissolve 1 tablespoon corn starch in just enough cold water to make a slurry and reserve.
Heat vegetable oil in a sauté pan or a wok over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the sturgeon pieces to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes, tossing and turning the sturgeon continually. Remove the sturgeon pieces from the pan and let drain on a paper towel-covered plate.
Pour out all but 1 tablespoon oil from the sauté pan and return pan to the fire. Add the carrots to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the stock to the pan and bring to a boil. When the stock is boiling, stir the corn starch slurry to re-dissolve the corn starch. Then, while stirring constantly, add the slurry to the stock and cook until it forms sauce, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Add the sturgeon back into the sauce and toss to completely coat each piece of sturgeon with sauce. Transfer the contents to a serving bowl and sprinkle reserved scallion rings over the bowl of sturgeon. Serve immediately.
