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Sekai Gohan
White Boiled Shrimp: Cantonese Shell-On Shrimp with Ginger Scallion Dip
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ginger, minced | 1 tbsp | Sauce: the sharp, warm center of the dip |
| Scallion, minced | 1 tbsp | Sauce: sweetness and a green aroma |
| Oil | 1 tbsp | Sauce: heated and poured over the aromatics to bloom them |
| Light soy sauce (生抽) | 2 tbsp | Sauce: salt and savoriness |
| Water | 1 tbsp | Sauce: softens the soy |
| Sugar | ½ tsp | Sauce: rounds off the salt without tasting sweet |
| Chinese black vinegar | ¼ tsp | Sauce: a faint toasted sourness |
| Shrimp, shell-on | 1 lb (450 g) | The main ingredient |
| Ginger | 3 slices | Pot: takes away fishiness |
| Scallions, whole | 2 | Pot: aroma for the water, not eaten |
| Salt | 1½ tbsp | Pot: seasons the water |
| Shaoxing wine (紹興酒) | 2 tbsp | Pot: aroma, clears fishy notes |
| Water | 5 cups | Pot: enough to cover the shrimp |
Steps
1Mince the aromatics into a heatproof bowl
Mince the ginger and the scallion finely and measure 1 tablespoon of each. Put both into a small heatproof bowl and mix them with chopsticks. Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer over the bottom so the hot oil can reach every piece. Move on when the pale ginger and green scallion are evenly mixed and no large pieces remain.
2Pour the hot oil over the ginger and scallion
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan or skillet until it just starts to smoke. Pour it over the ginger and scallion in one go. The bowl sizzles loudly and fine bubbles rise around the aromatics as they flash-fry. The oil is right when the ginger turns glossy and the scallion stays bright green with no dark brown edges.
3Stir in the soy sauce, water, sugar and vinegar
Add 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, ½ teaspoon sugar and ¼ teaspoon Chinese black vinegar. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Taste a drop; it should be salty and sharp, with the sugar only taking the edge off. The sauce is done when it is a thin, dark reddish-brown liquid with no grains on the bottom of the bowl. Set it aside, away from where you will handle the raw shrimp.
4Trim and devein the shrimp, shells on
Use kitchen shears to cut off the long antennae and the sharp point at the front of the head. Slip a bamboo skewer or toothpick under the dark vein along the middle of the back and lift it out. Rinse the shrimp under running water and drain them well. Wash your hands, shears and board before moving on. The shrimp are ready when the shells are intact, no dark vein shows and no water drips from them.
5Bring the seasoned water to a boil
In a medium pot, combine 5 cups water, the 3 slices of ginger, the 2 whole scallions, 1½ tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine. Leave the scallions whole; they only perfume the water and are not eaten. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. It is ready when the water is at a full rolling boil, the salt has dissolved and the steam smells of ginger and wine.
6Cook the shrimp until completely pink
Add the shrimp to the boiling water and stir slowly. They cook very fast, and they are done once they have turned completely pink, in about a minute. Large shrimp, shrimp that were not fully thawed, or a crowded pot take longer. Keep going until the flesh at the thickest part is white and opaque all the way through, or a thermometer in the center of the thickest shrimp, not touching the pot, reads 167°F (75°C).
7Lift them out at once and serve
Scoop the shrimp out of the pot immediately with a skimmer or slotted spoon so they do not overcook. Let the water drain back into the pot for a moment. Put them on a clean plate, never the one that held them raw, and bring them to the table with the sauce. They are right when the shells are bright orange-red, the bodies have curled, and the flesh is springy rather than shrunken and hard.