Salt Baked Shrimp (adapted from Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's The Chinese Kitchen)
Serves 4
Contrary to what the name of this dish suggests, Salt Baked Shrimp are not baked - they are (yummily) wok-fried. This is a dry, sauce-less dish that is quite spicy.
Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp - de-vein and remove the shell (you can leave the tail on)
1 Tbs baking soda
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbs cornstarch
1 quart peanut oil
2 Tbs minced hot chilies (you can use all jalapenos or mix a variety of hot peppers for a blend of colors and heat). Include the seeds in the mince for more heat.
Equipment:
For this recipe, you will need the following special equipment:
A wok
A Chinese strainer/wire net basket
A Chinese wooden spatula/paddle for stir-frying
Instructions:
Using the shrimp and baking soda, follow the technique described above to plump the shrimp [mix the shrimp and soda, let sit 20 min then blanch in salted boiling water and rinse under cold].
Pat the shrimp dry and sprinkle them with the cornstarch (toss to coat evenly). Heat your wok (it is important here to use a proper wok) over high heat then add the peanut oil and heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees (use a thermometer to test this - hot enough oil is essential). Place the shrimp in a Chinese strainer and blanch them in the oil for 1 minute (you can do this in batches). Put the oil-blanched shrimp in a strainer and drain off the excess oil in the sink.
Turn off the heat and carefully transfer the hot oil to a metal bowl.
Return 2 Tbs oil to the wok and return the wok to high heat (it might be a good idea to turn on the exhaust over the oven at this point). Add the salt and chilies to the wok and stir-fry (use a flat, wooden spatula for this). Then add all the shrimp and toss and stir them vigorously for approximately 1 minute. They should appear dry and crusted and the chilies should be slightly charred. Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving dish.
I like to serve this dish with sushi rice that has been cooked with a little salt and sesame oil. I've also included a recipe here for a nice broccoli side dish (below).
Thaw (if necessary) and peel and de-vein the shrimp (if the recipe calls for it). Rinse and drain the shrimp. For every 1lb of shrimp, toss with 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Let the shrimp sit for at least 20 minutes. Bring a large pot of salted water - use at least 1 Tbs salt (see Steve's Cooking Techniques on boiling water) to a rolling boil. Blanch the shrimp for 15 seconds then quickly transfer to colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking action. This process makes the shrimp plump and crisp by removing all water from the shrimp flesh.
Serves 4
Contrary to what the name of this dish suggests, Salt Baked Shrimp are not baked - they are (yummily) wok-fried. This is a dry, sauce-less dish that is quite spicy.
Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp - de-vein and remove the shell (you can leave the tail on)
1 Tbs baking soda
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbs cornstarch
1 quart peanut oil
2 Tbs minced hot chilies (you can use all jalapenos or mix a variety of hot peppers for a blend of colors and heat). Include the seeds in the mince for more heat.
Equipment:
For this recipe, you will need the following special equipment:
A wok
A Chinese strainer/wire net basket
A Chinese wooden spatula/paddle for stir-frying
Instructions:
Using the shrimp and baking soda, follow the technique described above to plump the shrimp [mix the shrimp and soda, let sit 20 min then blanch in salted boiling water and rinse under cold].
Pat the shrimp dry and sprinkle them with the cornstarch (toss to coat evenly). Heat your wok (it is important here to use a proper wok) over high heat then add the peanut oil and heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees (use a thermometer to test this - hot enough oil is essential). Place the shrimp in a Chinese strainer and blanch them in the oil for 1 minute (you can do this in batches). Put the oil-blanched shrimp in a strainer and drain off the excess oil in the sink.
Turn off the heat and carefully transfer the hot oil to a metal bowl.
Return 2 Tbs oil to the wok and return the wok to high heat (it might be a good idea to turn on the exhaust over the oven at this point). Add the salt and chilies to the wok and stir-fry (use a flat, wooden spatula for this). Then add all the shrimp and toss and stir them vigorously for approximately 1 minute. They should appear dry and crusted and the chilies should be slightly charred. Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving dish.
I like to serve this dish with sushi rice that has been cooked with a little salt and sesame oil. I've also included a recipe here for a nice broccoli side dish (below).
Thaw (if necessary) and peel and de-vein the shrimp (if the recipe calls for it). Rinse and drain the shrimp. For every 1lb of shrimp, toss with 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Let the shrimp sit for at least 20 minutes. Bring a large pot of salted water - use at least 1 Tbs salt (see Steve's Cooking Techniques on boiling water) to a rolling boil. Blanch the shrimp for 15 seconds then quickly transfer to colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking action. This process makes the shrimp plump and crisp by removing all water from the shrimp flesh.
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