Shrimp with Snow Peas Recipe

November 18, 2008

(Click the image above to view the complete photoset of 5 pictures)

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.

Recipe: Shrimp with Snow Peas

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.

Labels: Chinese Food, Chinese Recipes