Stir-fried zucchinis with perfect soy dressing

Ingredients

• 3–4 zucchini (courgette) flowers
• 1 tsp neutral oil
• 300 g (10½ oz) mixed heirloom squash, cut into 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ inch) chunks
• ¼ cup (60 ml) perfect soy dressing (see below)

Perfect soy dressing (see Note)

• ⅓ cup (80 ml) water
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) rice vinegar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup (250 ml) soy sauce
• ½ cup (125 ml) good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp finely grated ginger

Instructions

1. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
2. Slice the zucchini flowers lengthwise. Remove and discard the stamens (the pollen) carefully with your fingers.
3. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan until smoking, then add the zucchini flowers and squash. Stir fry for 2–3 minutes on high heat until just tender, then turn the heat off and add ¼ cup of the dressing. Stir to combine and serve immediately.

Note

• The ‘perfect soy dressing’ has been my go-to simple stir-fry sauce for years. This all-purpose sauce is perfectly balanced, with just the right amount of acid to enhance sweetness, supporting notes of aromatic ginger and garlic, and just enough soy sauce to enrobe the dish in umami. I use olive oil for this vinaigrette-style dressing – the soy and vinegar dial up its fruity characteristics and give it a much broader application than your regular stir-fry sauce. This sauce is genuinely good stir-fried with anything – use a little neutral oil to get the hot sear going for your ingredients, then add the sauce right at the end when the heat is off. It’s also fantastic tossed through shredded, blanched potatoes (cooked for 1½ minutes) with a chilli oil drizzle.
• This recipe makes 1 cup (250 ml) of dressing. Unused sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 weeks.

This is an edited extract from Secret Sauce by Rosheen Kaul, photography by Armelle Habib (Murdoch Books, $39.99)