Read The Everything Chinese Cookbook Online
Authors: Rhonda Lauret Parkinson
The sweet flavor of coconut milk nicely balances the tart lemon in this popular restaurant dish.
½ cup chopped walnut pieces
¼ cup sugar
½ pound shrimp
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1½ tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 ¾ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons coconut milk
3 cups oil for deep-frying
If you think a prawn and a shrimp look nearly identical, you're right. One type of prawn is merely an oversized shrimp. (The word prawn is also given to another type of crustacean related to the lobster.) Prawns can be substituted for shrimp in most recipes — just be sure to adjust for differences in volume where necessary.
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Chinese ricewine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2½–3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
2 slices ginger, minced
¼ teaspoon chili paste
½ cup peanuts
Ginger will keep for several days when stored in a paper bag that is kept in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator. For longer storage, place the ginger in a sealed container, fill with Chinese rice wine or a good pale, dry sherry, and store in the refrigerator. As the ginger flavor fades, you will have the flavor of the sherry to compensate.
This simple dish makes an excellent appetizer as well as main course. Like Kung Pao Chicken, it can also be made with cashews instead of peanuts.
Shrimp paste can be made ahead of time and refrigerated in a sealed container. Use within a few days.
½ pound (8 ounces) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
½ teaspoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced green onion
2 teaspoons finely minced water chestnut
½ teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 medium egg
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
The total number of appetizers will depend on how thickly you spread the shrimp paste on the bread.
12–15 slices of white bread, crusts removed
Shrimp Paste
4–6 cups oil for deep-frying
7 ounces shrimp
½ teaspoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons finely minced green onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped water chestnut
½ teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
teaspoon salt