(Chinese recipes, prepare authentic Chinese food now!)
I love shrimp, so much so that I eat shrimp almost every day–in my stir-fry’s, noodles, take-outs, fried rice, curries, etc. Shrimp is the easiest seafood to find and widely available. Plus, unlike common beliefs, they are not too expensive, if you know where to buy them. For me, the frozen 5 lb. version at Asian supermarkets are always economical and affordable, sold for an average of US$3.99 per pound.
One of the shrimp recipes that I always make at home is stir-fried shrimp with snow peas. The simple combination of shrimp plus fresh snow peas are always delicious yet very easy to make. I love them with steamed white rice and nothing else.
While shrimp with snow peas recipe is easy to prepare, it takes some techniques (and chef’s secrets) to make the shrimp crunchy. In many Chinese/Cantonese restaurants, chefs spend hours treating their shrimps under cold running water to make the texture springy and crunchy. Others use a combination of potato flour, salt, and baking soda to get similar results. For me, I used a combination of both to get that perfect crunch…(learn Chinese chefs’ secret techniques of making shrimp crunchy after the jump)
How to make shrimp crunchy?
- Defrost the shrimp
- Peel the shell
- Devein the shrimp
- Use a little salt and “massage” the shrimp for 1 minute
- Rinse thoroughly with cold running water for about 5 minutes
- Pat dry the shrimp with paper towels
- Add a little egg white, potato starch (or corn starch), and a wee bit of baking soda and marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes. For best results, marinate the shrimp for a few hours to get the perfect crunch
Note: the above techniques will only work if you have fresh shrimp to begin with. If your shrimps aren’t fresh, there is nothing you can do to make them crunchy. *wink*
So, if you love shrimp as much as I do, this snow peas shrimp recipe is a keeper.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound shrimp
3 oz snow peas
Some canned straw/button mushrooms (optional)
2 teaspoons cooking oil
5 slices peeled ginger
Sauce:
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing or rice wine)
2 dashes white pepper powder
Method:
Prepare the shrimp using the 7-step techniques above. Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside
Heat up a wok to high heat and add the cooking oil. Add the sliced ginger into the wok and stir-fry until aromatic and then follow by the shrimp. Toss the wok a few times or quickly stir-fry the shrimp a few times before adding the snow peas.
Add the sauce into the wok and quick stir to coat the sauce well with the shrimps and snow peas.
As soon as the shrimps are cooked, dish out and serve immediately.
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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
i luv ur pictures so muchhh!!!
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I love how naturally healthy this is too :) And I agree, there’s just no substitute for fresh shrimp. The packaged frozen ones are a sad affair!
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This technique is new to me.I will remember it.Thank you for this precious info.
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I love shrimps too! And I use the technique you mentioned – massage the shrimps and rinse with cold running water!! And the result is always amazing!
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I found your blog a few weeks ago and have been reading through the archives. I’m learning a lot about Asian cooking. I also love your photos (another talent I’d like to develop).
Could I get you to update the Marinate section of this recipe? In your seven steps, you mention egg white, potato starch and baking soda, but the recie shows potato starch, rice wine and water.
Also, what should the consistency of the marinade be? Or about how much water should be added?
Thanks!
Ben
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Droolin on the amount of shrimps!!! How do you manage to keep the oil off from the plate?seem like cooking with no oil.Amazing stuff
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Tks for ur wonderful tips on shrimp. Really helpful to me! :)
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gosh… the prawn make me drool in the middle of the night….
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Oh, I wish I lived somewhere where the shrimp were fresh, and I could eat them every day! When we visited New Orleans, I found that without even thinking about it I was ordering shrimp at every meal.
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I love shrimp but don’t eat them nearly enough. Your pics are making me want some!
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That sounds familiar ;). I just made a shrimp and snow pea recipe this weekend.
I will have to try your dish soon – it looks delicious.
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I love your blog, so much, all your recipe are so delicious, I've try your Sweet Sour Pork & Chicken with Cashew nut they are both delicious, my niece kept on asking me to cook for them. hope to have more of your recipe, especially the chinese recipie.
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mmmmmm, this looks delish
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that looks so good! hopefully we can get to know eachother better through our blogging :)
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Interesting, very nice. Advice I read those articles and I decided to also contribute. I am of Slovak republic and I also site – a blog focusing on recipes for cooking. See. All good. Page to be translated through Google translate.
http://www.irecepty.com
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I wasn’t a very picky eater when I was a kid, but thing I really didn’t like was shrimp. Somehow I got over than and I love it now. This looks fantastic. I love that you “masssage” the shrimp:-)
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Fascinating Bee. I’ve always wondered why the shrimps at some Chinese restaurants are so plump and crunchy. I always thought it was a special type of shrimp. I’m going to try your tips next time I cook them.
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Hi..
I stumbled upon your blog when I was searching for recipe to cook in the beginning of the semester and had bookmarked it ever since! I’m not too far from home, it’s just Singapore. (I’m fr Perak) But home cooked food is so different. And I love to browse your page even if its just a study break. Gives me ideas when I do grocery shopping :)
All in all, just wanted to tell you I love your blog.
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Hi Rasa, I like this shrimp recipe, do you mind I will try your recipe. I will be one of your avid visitor here to try on your recipe. Can I exchange link with you. Let me know. thanks
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Hi Rasa, I like this shrimp recipe, do you mind I will try your recipe. I will be one of your avid visitor here to try on your recipe. Can I exchange link with you. Let me know. thanks
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I am so excited to find your blog! I can’t wait to start cooking. Thanks for the great recipe inspiration and photography.
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Hi!! Your shrimps looks yummy. I agree that it only works with fresh shrimps. If the shrimps are not fresh, nothing much can be done.
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Shrimps is my ultimate favourite too! I can have it anytime!
This sure looks like a keeper recipe!
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I just stumbled on this site – it is amazing. One clarification question on this recipe. You advocate the use of fresh shrimp, but the 1st step is to defrost shrimp. Can you clarify ?
Thank you.
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Dave – well, I called for fresh shrimp, but in case you keep them in the refrigerator, you have to defrost the shrimp, right?
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Sounds good. Now I am ready to cook my shrimp. Bonn Appetite!
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i thought it was wounderful. when i tasted it the first time it was like a whole nother thing that i had never ate before!
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i tried this for dinner today.wanted to try it for for quite sometime already and finally bought some snow peas,just to try out your mouthwatering recipe.and OMG!it was really2 good and looks just like ur pic.hehe..but mine is without the mushrooms and rice wine :)
i’m gonna try your marble cake recipe this weekend! ~keep inspiring!~
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