The flavor is savory with a hint of sweetness, rich and aromatic, and the addition of shredded scallion and ginger enhances the overall fragrance of the dish.
Braised Prawns is one of Shandong's famous dishes. Simply select premium ingredients and pair them with a few simple seasonings to create an incredibly rich and flavorful dish.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
500 g (about 1 lb) large prawns
Large shrimp with shells are best; when selecting, choose those with hard, crisp shells, while those with soft, mushy shells are a secondary choice.
Seasonings
10 g soy sauce
30 g (about 2 tablespoons) Shaoxing wine
2 g salt (about 1/3 teaspoon)
20 g (about 1 ½ tablespoons) sugar
Scallions and ginger, to taste
a pinch of white pepper
a few drops of vinegar
Instructions
Instructions
Preparation
Step 1: Wash the prawns, remove the legs, antennae, and sharp rostrum, then extract the "sand sac" (the dark vein) and devein them; set aside (Image 2).
*Step-by-step illustrated instructions can be found on pages 132-133 of this book.
*Be sure to wash the prawns thoroughly before cleaning them, as trimming the sharp head spike before washing will wash away some of the flavorful shrimp oil from the heads.
*It's best to prepare the prawns in advance; after cleaning, drain them thoroughly and let the shells dry completely to prevent oil from splattering when they go into the pan.
Step 2: Finely shred the scallions and ginger into thin strips and set aside (Image 3).
*The shredded scallions are very important in this dish, so be sure to use a generous amount.
Pan-fry the large prawns until golden on both sides.
③ Heat a wok with some oil until it's about 70% hot, add the shredded ginger and stir-fry briefly over high heat (Image 4). Then add the prawns, reduce to medium heat, and pan-fry both sides until red (Image 5), about 2 minutes. Add half the shredded scallions, splash in the Shaoxing wine for a burst of aroma (Image 6), then add soy sauce and continue stir-frying for a few more seconds.
Before pan-frying the shrimp, add shredded ginger to help remove some of the fishy smell. Stir-fry the ginger for just a moment before adding the shrimp—do not overcook the ginger.
*When the shrimp first go into the pan, you can cover it with a lid to prevent oil splatters and burns.
*Don't skimp on the Shaoxing wine—this dish uses few seasonings, so the wine is absolutely essential.
Braised Prawns
④ Add salt, sugar, white pepper, and vinegar to the wok, pour in a little hot water, and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (Image 7). Flip the prawns and cook for another minute, then turn the heat to high, add the remaining shredded scallions, and reduce the sauce until thickened (Image 8).
When braising the shrimp, use a spatula to press down on the shrimp heads frequently to release the roe and oil, which enhances the flavor and gives the dish a brighter red color.
*When cooking the shrimp, don't add too much water—just a little is enough, as you only need to simmer for two to three minutes before reducing the sauce; if you add too much water, the sauce won't reduce completely and the flavor will become diluted.
*The shrimp is fully cooked when it is completely curled up; if it is fully curled, the shrimp is done.
Take your cooking to the next level
The quality of the ingredients is absolutely crucial for this dish; ideally, you should use large Bohai Bay prawns, which have tender meat and rich roe, resulting in a first-class dish in both color and flavor. However, large prawns are very expensive, and most common prawns are farmed with very little roe, significantly diminishing the quality of the braised prawns. There is a way to compensate for this shortcoming—make your own shrimp oil using a few ounces of small river shrimp. The specific method is to maintain the oil at a medium-low temperature (around 50-60% hot) and fry the small shrimp over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Use the oil obtained from frying the small river shrimp to cook the braised prawns. Although it's a bit more trouble, the resulting dish is indeed much more fragrant and delicious, and you also get an extra appetizer for drinks—salt and pepper small river shrimp. Give it a try!