Crisp and refreshing, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour flavors and tender, succulent shrimp.
Few fruits work well in savory dishes, but lychee is one of them. The shrimp are incredibly bouncy, crisp, tender, and smooth, coated in a sweet and tangy ketchup sauce, paired with seasonal lychee for a rich variety of textures. This dish is simple, but the preparation of the ingredients is key—the shrimp must be marinated properly, or they won't achieve that bouncy texture.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
400 g (about 14 oz) large shrimp
Fresh lychees, to taste
Fresh shrimp with shells on are best; try to avoid using frozen shrimp from the supermarket.
Seasonings
20 g (about 1.5 tablespoons) ketchup
1 g salt
5 g (about 1 teaspoon) sugar
a small amount of egg white
green onion and ginger to taste
cornstarch, a pinch
Instructions
Instructions
Preparation
Step 1: Remove the heads and shells from the large shrimp, devein them, and rinse clean. Prepare the shrimp using the method previously described, then set aside.
② Slice the scallion and julienne the ginger, place them in a bowl, add enough water to cover, and let soak for about 20 minutes to make scallion-ginger water (Image 2). Peel and pit the lychees, then tear each piece of flesh in half and set aside (Image 3).
*Before stir-frying, blanch the lychee meat in boiling water briefly before adding it to the pan.
Marinate the shrimp: In a bowl, combine the shrimp with a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, and 1 egg white, then stir until well coated and let sit for 10 minutes.
After rinsing the prepared shrimp clean, pat them dry with a cloth, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and toss until sticky, then add a little egg white and cornstarch, mixing well to coat evenly, and set aside (Image 4).
*Shrimp must be patted completely dry with a cloth; if there is too much moisture, the coating won't stick to the shrimp. (This is a quick, standard marinating method; for a crispier texture, use a different technique.)
Stir-fry over high heat until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, then add the lychee and tomato sauce mixture, tossing quickly to coat evenly before serving.
④ Pour more oil into the wok and heat to 350°F (about 175°C), then add the shrimp and slide them in medium heat for half a minute until 90% cooked, then remove and drain the oil (Image 5).
*The oil temperature for blanching the shrimp should not be too high, otherwise the shrimp will easily become tough.
*The shrimp are cooked until just done because they will be stir-fried again later, ensuring they are perfectly cooked with the best texture.
⑤ Pour out the oil from the wok, leaving just a thin layer. Add the ketchup and stir-fry over low heat for half a minute (Image 6). Then pour in a small amount of scallion-ginger water, add salt and sugar, and bring to a boil over high heat (Image 7). Add the lychees and shrimp to the wok, stir-fry until well combined, then remove from the heat and serve (Image 8).
*The scallion-ginger water helps thin the ketchup and remove any fishy taste, but don't use too much, or you'll need to add a cornstarch slurry to coat the shrimp. If the ketchup is already thin, you'll need to thicken it with a slurry, and the sauce must cling to the shrimp in the end.
*Add the shrimp and lychee to the wok and toss quickly to coat evenly with the sauce, then remove from heat immediately. Do not overcook, or the shrimp will become tough and lose their tender texture.
Flexible application
There is a dish called Tomato Sautéed Pork Slices, prepared in a similar way: first, the pork slices are quickly fried in oil, then simply stir-fried in ketchup. Of course, this method can be flexibly applied to many ingredients, such as chicken or fish fillets. Be sure to choose tender cuts of meat (like pork tenderloin or chicken breast), and don't cut corners on marinating or the oil-slicking step—only then can you create a truly great dish. In addition to lychee, you can also use pineapple.