Jean Yueh's Shanghai-Style Shrimp
Adapted from The Breath of a Wok by Grace Young. This dish is wonderful served hot, but it can also be made in advance and served at room temperature. Young writes in her headnote that according to the creator of the dish, cookbook author and teacher Jean Yeah, it’s even better the next day, after the shrimp absorb the sauce. (If you do this, keep the dish refrigerated overnight, then bring it back to room temperature to serve it.)
The dish leads off one of the four New Year’s menus Young includes at the back of her book; each is comprised of dishes that can be made ahead.
READ: “Auspiciously, deliciously ring in the Year of the Dragon with these outstanding Chinese cookbooks”
Young’s original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste. We used 2 tablespoons, and it was sweet enough, but not overly so. We presume that you could use Shaoxing wine in place of the sherry, but we have not yet tried that. We did test it using the optional sesame oil.
Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal.
Ingredients
1 pound / 450 grams large shrimp (in their shells)
3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 slices ginger
2 scallions, cut into 2-inch / 5-cm pieces
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil, optional
Instructions
1. Using kitchen shears, cut through the shrimp shells two-thirds of the length down the back of the shrimp. Remove the legs and devein the shrimp, leaving the sheels and tails on. Rinse the unpeeled shrimp, drain and set on several sheets of paper towels. With more paper towels, pat the shrimp dry.
2. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and vinegar. Set aside.
3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the vegetable oil, add the ginger and scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the shrimp and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the sherry and stir-fry a few seconds. Swirl in the soy sauce mixture and sprinkle in the sugar. Stir-fry the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce is distributed and the shrimp are just cooked. Remove from the heat. Stir in the sesame oil, if using. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
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Adapted from The Breath of a Wok by Grace Young. This dish is wonderful served hot, but it can also be made in advance and served at room temperature. Young writes in her headnote that according to the creator of the dish, cookbook author and teacher Jean Yeah, it’s even better the next day, after the shrimp absorb the sauce. (If you do this, keep the dish refrigerated overnight, then bring it back to room temperature to serve it.)
Ingredients
- 1 pound / 450 grams large shrimp (in their shells)
- 3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 scallions, cut into 2-inch / 5-cm pieces
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, optional
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears, cut through the shrimp shells two-thirds of the length down the back of the shrimp. Remove the legs and devein the shrimp, leaving the sheels and tails on. Rinse the unpeeled shrimp, drain and set on several sheets of paper towels. With more paper towels, pat the shrimp dry.
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and vinegar. Set aside.
- Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a bead of water until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in the vegetable oil, add the ginger and scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the shrimp and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the sherry and stir-fry a few seconds. Swirl in the soy sauce mixture and sprinkle in the sugar. Stir-fry the shrimp 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce is distributed and the shrimp are just cooked. Remove from the heat. Stir in the sesame oil, if using. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
