Garlic sauce is one of the most popular stir fry sauces in Chinese restaurants today, especially when paired with seafood. There are three simple ingredients that make up the base of this delicious sauce. They are oyster sauce, which can usually be found in the ethnic section of your local grocery store, chicken broth, and of course, chopped garlic. To this basic garlic sauce, ginger, soy, and even a bit of green onion can be added to boost the flavor even more. Not only is garlic sauce great on seafood, it can also give chicken and beef a wonderful flavor as well.

In this recipe I chose to pair this delicious sauce with bay scallops. Bay scallops are the small, tiny scallops which have a delicate light sweet flavor and are perfect for almost any stir fry. These little scallops are sometimes hard to find fresh, but they can usually be found in the frozen section of your local grocery store. Scallops freeze well so the flavor is not compromised, however, with these tiny scallops you have to make sure to not overcook them. If overcooked they will become rubbery and tough, but cooked perfectly they are soft, juicy and flavorful. Try the recipe below and let me know what you think in the Chinese food forum. Enjoy!

1 lb bag of frozen bay scallops
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 ½ tsp jarred pre-chopped garlic
1 tbsp soy
2 tbsp oyster sauce
¼ cup hot chicken broth
2 tsp cornstarch

1. Defrost the scallops by soaking them in luke warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Be sure not to use hot water or they will come out overcooked in the final dish. Drain them thoroughly and set them aside.


2. In a large non stick pot or wok, heat the oil on high. Add the garlic and stir fry for about 1 minute or until it is lightly brown.


3. Add the scallops, soy and oyster sauce and stir fry for one more minute.


4. Add the chicken broth and bring everything to a boil. Make sure that the chicken broth is hot before adding it to the pot. This will bring everything to a boil quickly and prevent the scallops from being overcooked.


5. Mix the cornstarch with a little water just to dissolve. Once the pot boils, add the cornstarch mixture and stir until thick.


6. Serve over white rice. Makes 2 generous servings.