Scallops stir-fried with asparagus and lily bulb on rice
Scallops seared until lightly golden, then tossed with sweet, crisp asparagus and fresh lily bulb — delicate, nourishing and light, with no greasiness.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Yin-deficient people are short of fluids, with a dry mouth, hot palms and soles and restless sleep. Liqiu brings the first autumn dryness, and Hong Kong's heavy sweating drains yin too. Scallops nourish yin and the kidneys, lily bulb moistens the lungs and calms the mind, and asparagus clears heat and generates fluids. Made without chilli or pepper, it's sweet, light and moistening.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 10 min- 1Thaw the scallops if frozen, pat dry with kitchen paper and toss with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp cornflour; leave for 10 minutes.
- 2Trim the woody ends of the asparagus and cut on the diagonal. Separate the lily bulb into petals, trim any brown edges and rinse.
- 3Blanch the asparagus and carrot in boiling water with a little oil and salt for 1 minute, add the lily for 10 seconds, then drain.
- 4Heat the oil and fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant. Sear the scallops for 1 minute on each side until lightly golden, then lift out.
- 5Stir-fry the asparagus, carrot and lily in the same pan, return the scallops and season with salt. Thicken lightly with the remaining cornflour mixed with water, add the sesame oil and serve with the rice.
Cautions
- Scallops are shellfish and a common allergen, so avoid them if seafood disagrees with you; lily and asparagus are cool, so add more ginger if you get loose stools.
Chef's tips
- Pat the scallops completely dry so they brown instead of stewing; add the lily last, as it turns mushy if overcooked.
The TCM view
Scallop is sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin, tonifying the kidneys and harmonising the middle. Lily bulb is sweet and slightly cold, nourishing yin, moistening the lungs and calming the mind; asparagus is sweet and cold, clearing heat and generating fluids; carrot is sweet and neutral, supporting the spleen; a little ginger tempers the coolness. Sweet, moistening and never heavy, it suits yin deficiency at the start of autumn.
