Stir-Fried Lotus Root with Bacon and Vegetables | Wok Wednesdays

Finding the ingredients for this Stir-Fried Lotus Root with Bacon and Vegetables was an adventure.

This is one of the things I love about participating in Wok Wednesdays. I am forced to try ingredients I would never even think of trying otherwise. Another thing I love about participating? The support I receive from other Wok Wednesdays participants... including Grace Young, the author of Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge, the book from which we are wokking.

Cloud ears. Chinese bacon. Lotus root....

Cloud ears? Turns out it is a fungus. It is usually sold dried and needs to be reconstituted in water. Amazingly, I was able to find a big pack of fresh cloud ears.

I and many of my fellow participants had to make several trips to our local Asian market after buying the wrong item or not finding one of the ingredients. Participants posted photos of what they bought and others weighed in as to whether or not they had the correct ingredient. I actually took the book to the store to show pictures of what I was looking for.

We are a dedicated group. (If you have any interest in joining a fun and dedicated group of people who are interested in learning how to stir-fry, check out the Facebook page.)

Final verdict? We all loved this. This is a stunning dish and really easy to prepare once you have all of the ingredients.

In addition to the cloud ears, lotus root, and the bacon (there are some great photos of these ingredients on this blog), the dish includes snow peas, carrots, and scallions, along with ginger, chicken broth, salt and pepper, sesame oil, Shao Hsing rice wine, and soy sauce. Amazing flavor.

To get the recipe, check out page 193 of Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge by Grace Young. As participants, we've all agreed not to post the actual recipe. If you are interested in flexing new cooking muscles and want to make some amazing dishes, get the book and try this dish.