New Use For Bagels
I’ve toasted them.
I’ve smeared them with cream cheese and jam.
I’ve piled slices of silky smoked salmon on them.
But until now, I had never stir-fried a bagel.
Yes, you read that right.
Of all the recipes in award-winning cookbook writer Grace Young’s new book, “Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge” (Simon & Schuster) that had me running to grab my wok — and there are many — the one that most intrigued me was this unusual one for “Stir-Fried Bagels with Cabbage and Bacon.”
Young discovered this dish in Beijing, where a creative group of homecooks apparently do indeed enjoy bagels in a stir-fry. This inspired use was prompted by the establishment of a bagel company in Beijing in the mid-1990s, begun by a Chinese-American woman who was born in Taiwan and raised in Brooklyn.
Two plain bagels get cubed and tossed into a hot wok with bacon, green cabbage, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorns.
This rustic, rather country-like dish reminds me a little of Thanksgiving stuffing done Chinese-style. The bagel pieces remain soft, yet soak up all the lovely rendered bacon fat, giving the dish a rather salty richness with a subtle, tingling heat from the Sichuan peppercorns.
It’s a dish that will definitely make you look at bagels in a whole new light.
Stir-Fried Bagels with Cabbage and Bacon
(Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal)
Grace Young writes that if you use day-old bagels, sprinkle a tablespoon of water over the bagel-cabbage mixture before covering the wok.
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 dried red chili pepper, snipped on one end
2 slices ginger, smashed
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
5 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide pieces (about 4 ounces)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
6 cups cubed green cabbage (about 1 pound)
2 large plain bagels, cut into 1/8-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce and vinegar.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the oil, add chili, ginger, and peppercorns, then, using a metal spatula, stir-fry 10 seconds until aromatics are fragrant. Add bacon, reduce heat to medium, and stir-fry 3 minutes or until bacon is slightly crisp on the edges. Add garlic and stir-fry 10 seconds or until garlic is just fragrant. Add cabbage, increase heat to high, and stir-fry 1 minute or until cabbage leaves just begin to wilt. Swirl soy sauce mixture into the wok, add bagels, and stir-fry 1 minute or until well combined. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 1 minute or until bagels have softened. Uncover, sprinkle on the salt, and stir-fry until well-combined.
From “Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge” by Grace Young
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Wednesday, 7. July 2010 6:07
Hi Carolyn – Marcia here from Mel’s blog. I’m excited about this recipe as it appears that I’ll have a bumper crop of Chinese cabbage – that would work instead of green cabbage right? Also, I’m going to try the berry cake but with strawberries as that’s all I have ready right now. Thanks!
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 6:19
Carolyn, I was so delighted by the uniqueness of this recipe. It certainly is interesting. I’ve spent some time reading other of your posts and have really enjoyed my visit. I like your recipes and the convivial tone of your blog. I’ll be back. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings…Mary
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 6:30
A great use! This stir-fried dish must be delicious.
Cheers,
Rosa
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 7:03
I have never heard of that, but what a great way to use day old bagels!
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 8:07
A delicious diversions love bagels ..
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 9:03
Ha ha, you’re totally right. I definitely have never seen stir-fried bagels before. They sort of remind me of croutons, although I’m guessing they aren’t nearly as crunchy!
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 9:09
Wow, just wow. Now if only we had decent bagels around here.
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 9:23
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sean Timberlake, andi_fisher and others. andi_fisher said: An amazing + YUMMY way to use day old bagels! http://bit.ly/dp9Pjz (via @CarolynJung) [...]
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 10:14
Oooh, great idea for my next Thanksgiving menu! Gotta love bacon.
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 11:19
ok now this is good. i love this. i used to fry my bagels in butter (when i was young and thin) so i can easily see why this is just yummy.
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 13:31
Okay…that looks like something I want to make immediately. Just bought bacon too!
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 14:21
These stir-fried bagels with bacon are very yummy for the tummy!
All the best,
Gera
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 14:41
Bagels? In a Stir-Fry? Really? Intriguing! I’ll have to give this a try.
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 16:02
I love stir-frys…I don’t eat bacon or else I’d be making this for breakfast. The cookbook itself sounds really interesting though.
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 19:12
This is a first for me. I like the idea that the bacon fat is absorbed and perhaps takes on a bacon-y crust. I must try this recipe for the novelty.
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 20:04
I love this idea. Bread is a wonderful ingredient. I love panzanella, Italian bread salad. Bagels are a great idea — I can see that texture working really well, cubed in a stir-fry.
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 20:54
It’s like croutons or bread crisps in a salad! I like the idea.
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 20:56
Dear Carolyn – Did you honestly say “stir fry a bagel”? WOW! But with cabbage and bacon it’s my kinda stir fry. Gotta give this a go when bagels are aplenty
Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
Wednesday, 7. July 2010 23:03
how about, slap the bagel with fish paste and deep fry it!
can right? innovative?
Thursday, 8. July 2010 3:42
As a carbohydrate lover. This is basically my dream dish. Nothing like a good NY bagel soaked up in bacon fat!
Thursday, 8. July 2010 9:46
Sounds so interesting! Got to find some bagel to try it out.
Thursday, 8. July 2010 12:45
This is something I would never have thought to try, but I like the comparison to stuffing.
Thursday, 8. July 2010 13:26
how fortuitous–my boss gave me a bag of bagels yesterday and i wasn’t really sure what to do with them–after all, i’m not a fan of the lox.
Thursday, 8. July 2010 20:07
In Facebook I glued “Oye” and “Yahh” together to create “Oye Yahh!” a Jewish (Yiddish?)-Chinese slang combo expressing surprise well shy of shock-and-awe but somewhere between “Good grief!” and “omg!”.
Friday, 9. July 2010 4:57
This looks absolutely awesome! I cannot wait to try it!
Friday, 9. July 2010 7:51
How interesting. I never would have thought of bagels and stir fry. Very cool:)
Friday, 9. July 2010 10:49
Ha! Creative and hilarious. My tummy rumbles with the possibilities… brekkie bagel stir fry with eggs and cheese… stir fried bagel poutine… yum!
Friday, 9. July 2010 13:32
I grew up eating bagels, but I’ve never, ever heard of stir-frying one! I love it!
Friday, 9. July 2010 15:08
Bet this is delicious. It certainly is creative!
Friday, 9. July 2010 18:25
JuliaLikesRed: Oh wow — stir-fried bagel poutine?? That might just be crazy good.
Saturday, 10. July 2010 1:12
[...] You learn something new every day… Read ahead [...]
Sunday, 11. July 2010 15:03
Wow, that is a new one for me, Can’t wait to spring it on hubby!
Sunday, 11. July 2010 19:02
Wow, fantastic! A few months ago we ate a dish of stir-fried you tiaow with pork and celery at a sort-of Cantonese restaurant in George Town,Penang that sounds similar. And my reaction was as yours — reminded me of my mom’s Thanksgiving turkey stuffing.
Monday, 12. July 2010 8:56
I never would have thought of this…what a great idea!! It looks delicious
Monday, 12. July 2010 9:48
I just learned that some people make ice cream sandwiches with doughnuts-perhaps a cinnamon raisin bagel would be a good base for rum raisin ice cream sandwich.
Monday, 12. July 2010 17:49
Verrrrry interesting! I’d make this but with pastrami instead of bacon. It also gets me thinking what other uses bagels might have. Croutons, for sure! French toast, maybe!
Thursday, 5. August 2010 20:18
wow very intriguing! definitely making me think of bagels in a new light..
Friday, 14. January 2011 5:26
[...] Another Recipe From Grace Young: Stir-Fried Bagels with Cabbage and Bacon (Yes, bagels!) [...]
Friday, 19. August 2011 7:57
[...] More Unusual Recipes: Stir-Fried Bagels with Cabbage and Bacon [...]