Elise Prudhomme, Three Feathers partner, lives overseas in France with her family of three young adult sons, to whom she transmitted her culinary passion at an early age. In a world where how and what to eat is an increasing concern, not to mention balancing a student budget and eating healthy, Elise is thrilled to share some of her sons’ recipes accompanied by pairing suggestions with Three Feathers readers.

Simply Szechuan | Stir Fry by Oscar

Oscar lives in southern France in a campus dorm with a tiny kitchen comprised of two electric burners and a sink. With the help of a sauté pan / wok, he has become quite clever in making up recipes often Asian-based. While this particular Szechuan beef recipe can made with pork or chicken, we chose here to use strip-loin which pairs really well with our Three Feathers 2016 Pinot Noir.

Ingredients – serves 5 people

• Meat and marinade for Stir Fry
  • 2 pounds of strip-loin
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp water
• Vegetables for Stir Fry
  • 2 onions, peeled and cut into rounds
  • 4 stalks of celery, cut into dice
  • 2 red peppers, emptied and cut lengthwise
  • 6 carrots, peeled and cut into strips
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 inch thick piece of ginger, finely grated
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup of water
• Sauce
  • 1 cup of water
  • 4 tbsp Hoisin or Yakitori sauce
  • 2 tsp hot pepper paste
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

Slice and marinate the steak

Cut the strip-loin into 1/4 inch thick strips then prepare the marinade. In a bowl, add the baking soda and soy sauce and mix well. Incorporate olive oil and water, stirring to maintain a smooth consistency. Pour onto the meat and leave to marinate for 1 hour.

Prepare the vegetables for the stir fry

Peel and slice the carrots, celery, red peppers and onions for the stir fry. The nice thing about this recipe is that it is colorful and presents well. Oscar picked the celery from our vegetable garden directly.

Prepare the sauce

Combine the hot pepper paste with the hoisin (or yakitori) sauce and add the cornstarch and water, being sure to stir throughout keeping the sauce smooth and lump-free.

Sauté the Vegetables

Coat a sauté pan or wok with a fine layer of sesame oil, depending on your pan this can be from 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the ginger and garlic and sizzle them in the sesame oil on low to medium heat until lightly browned and smelling savory.

Add all of the vegetables together and sauté, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes on high heat. Add 1 cup of water to steam the vegetables. Let the water evaporate, but do not cover them, then set aside.

Sauté the Steak

Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in the sauté pan and add the steak. Cook over high heat, turning regularly, until the meat is cooked to satisfaction. Add the vegetables to the meat and combine them together gently.

Pour the sauce over the pan and cook for 5 minutes, turning to coat the mixture entirely. Serve immediately with rice or noodles and a bottle of Three Feathers 2016 Pinot Noir.