Spicy bamboo shoot salad is a quick and easy (no cooking required!) starter, which can be served either cold or at room temperature. It’s also an excellent complement to other main courses like stir-fries, braises, etc.
Raw garlic and chili flakes add spiciness, while the oyster sauce and light soy sauce provide saltiness, sugar adds sweetness, and rice vinegar cuts the spiciness. Add some Sichuan peppercorn oil for a numbing sensation if you prefer!
If you don’t like cilantro, chopped scallions are a good alternative that will still add a nice fresh flavor.
Where Do I Get The Right Bamboo Shoots?
We utilized bamboo shoots from the spring harvest for this dish. You can tell they are not as uniform in appearance as the winter bamboo shoots you find in a can.
They’ve thinned down a lot, but you can still make out the individual shoot pieces. They come pre-cooked and packaged in airtight containers. No more cooking is required. They are ready to be dressed and played with immediately upon arrival.
After being boiled, bamboo shoots become soft yet retain a pleasant crunch that many find refreshing.
Find some fresh spring bamboo shoots and boil them till tender before use. Avoid eating them uncooked. They are poisonous due to their inherent nature (cooking neutralizes them).
The Tight Texture:
The bamboo shoots in this dish are torn by hand rather than chopped. This is done so that the pasta will have a lot of different sizes, shapes, and frilly edges, which will help the sauce stick to the pasta and create a more exciting and appetizing dish.
The tenderness of the bamboo shoots right out of the package makes them easy to tear. Please don’t omit this essential procedure!
Right, let’s get down to the recipe!
Ingredients:
- 7 ounces of thin poached spring bamboo shoots
- 1-2 cloves of minced garlic
- 1/4 cup of roughly chopped cilantro (leaves and stems)
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons of Sichuan chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of oyster sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorn oil
- salt to taste
Instructions:
- Use your hands to tear the bamboo shoots into thin strips.
- Put the Sichuan pepper flakes and garlic in a small bowl. Oil should be heated and poured over the garlic and flakes, which will sizzle and give off a wonderful aroma.
- Then, add the Sichuan peppercorn oil and stir in the sugar, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, light soy sauce, and regular soy sauce. Shred some bamboo and tossed it in.
- Add salt to taste, and sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top.