Crunchy Shrimp with Lobster Sauce Recipe
Shrimp with lobster sauce is without a doubt one of the most popular westernized Chinese dishes. And it is so not without reason. The shrimp is so delicious and the sauce makes it even more mouthwatering. Not to mention the crunchy shrimp ‘bounces’ around your mouth, leaving a mouth feel you just won’t forget.
Chinese dishes are all about mouthfeel and texture. And this dish pretty much proves that. With our recipe here, you can cook delicious shrimp with lobster sauce of your own. We will also tell you the secret behind crunchiness so you can make your dish just as crunchy as the one you would find in a restaurant.
About the Dish
- What is it made of?
If you have ever taste shrimp with lobster sauce, you probably already notice what is ‘wrong’ with it. Yes, that’s right. The ‘lobster’ is in name only. There is no actual lobster in the dish. This hasn’t stopped people from enjoying this classic takeout, however. People still enjoy this delicious dish.
Instead of a real lobster, the name came from one of the ingredients of the sauce. Namely, the fermented black beans. Fermented black beans are used by Cantonese in creating lobster, hence the ‘lobster’ in the dish’s name. To answer the question: The dish is made of shrimp with savory eggy sauce.
- Is it easy to make?
Yes. The dish is very easy to make. Bonus: since you cook the dish yourself, you can adjust the taste to your liking.
- Is it healthy?
Yes. The dish has only 173 calories.
- A good dish to celebrate the Chinese New Year
In Cantonese, the pronunciation of shrimp sounds similar to happiness or laughter. What better ways to enjoy New Chinese Year (or any other holiday for that matter) than to eat this delicious dish with the family?
As you might have probably known, feasting is the soul of Chinese New Year. It is all about eating a lot of good food that symbolizes happiness, prosperity, and great fortune. This shrimp with a savory egg sauce dish will surely make everyone happy.
- What other dishes you can serve with it?
Beef and broccoli, General Tso’s chicken, and chicken lettuce wraps make great meals together with shrimp with lobster sauce.
The Secret behind Crunchy Shrimp
When you eat a Chinese dish, especially a good one, you probably notice the mouthfeel and texture of the dish. That is what great Chinese dish is all about. Shrimp with lobster sauce really captures that distinct characteristic. The shrimp is not only delicious, but it is also crunchy and gives a ‘bouncy’ mouthfeel.
Now the question is, how can you make the shrimp crunchy? Or to be more specific, how to make the shrimp crunchy like the one in Chinese restaurants? In Chinese, this ‘bouncy’ mouth feel is called shuangcui. And there is a secret to make the shrimp like that.
It turns out that the secret behind the crunchy and ‘bouncy’ mouth feel is to expose the shrimp to pH9. One technique to do this is to rinse shrimp with cold running water for hours. The shrimp should be rinsed until its flesh becomes translucent and firms up. Many Chinese restaurants use this technique to make their shrimp crunchy and ‘bouncy’.
The problem with rinsing shrimp with cold running water is that it wastes a lot of water during the process. Also, the pH level of tap-water might vary depending on its source and origin, so it might not for everyone. Most tap water tends to close to pH9, but it is still not an ideal choice considering how much water will be used.
Fortunately, rinsing with pH9 alkaline water is not the only method to make shrimp crunchy and ‘bouncy’. There is another, easier technique that everyone can try. That technique is marinating and light massaging the shrimp.
How to make it crunchy
For this, you will need
- 1 tablespoon of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon of egg white
- 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of tapioca starch
The process goes like the following:
- To make shrimp crunchy and ‘bouncy’, you will need to submerge it in cold water. You can use a bowl for this. Then, add a tablespoon of baking soda, mix it with water, and massage the shrimp for a while. Leave it for 30 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with cold running water.
- Once the shrimp is rinsed thoroughly, dry it with paper towels. It should look somewhat translucent by now. The next thing to do is adding tapioca starch and egg white to the shrimp. Blend the ingredients well and massage the shrimp lightly.
- Use plastic wrap to cover the shrimp and marinate overnight. When you cook, cook the shrimp right away without washing the marinade.
Lobster Sauce Recipe
Course: Main course
Cuisine: Shrimp with lobster sauce
Keyword: Lobster sauce recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 173
Ingredients
- 1-inch piece peeled ginger, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing wine
- 3/4 cup frozen fresh vegetables, carrots, and peas
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 dashes white pepper
- 12 ounces raw large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- Salt and sugar to taste
Instructions
- Start with seasoning the shrimp with salt and sugar. Season the shrimp to taste.
- Prepare the wok and pour oil on it. Heat the wok on medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add garlic and ginger. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger for about 2 minutes or until they become aromatic.
- Add the shrimp into the wok. Stir-fry until the shrimp surface turns opaque or half-cooked. Add the Chinese Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine) and chicken broth. Let the mixture boil.
- Add the frozen vegetables. Stir again until all the ingredients combine.
- Add salt, sugar, soy sauce, and white pepper to taste.
- Next is preparing the cornstarch mixture. To make the mixture, just mix water and cornstarch and mix them well.
- When the chicken broth mixture is boiling, pour the cornstarch mixture slowly while stirring.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Swirl the beaten egg then use a pair of chopsticks to stir it three times. Once the egg white starts to form silken threads, immediately turn off the heat.
- Dish the lobster sauce to a serving plate and serve. The dish is best served with warm rice.