A beloved Cantonese takeout classic featuring silky shrimp paired with crunchy cashews, mushrooms, snow peas, celery, and carrots in a light oyster sauce-based glaze. Though cashews are not traditional in Chinese cuisine, they have become a favorite ingredient in American Chinese restaurants.
shrimpSouth American prawns or 26/30 size preferred (26-30 pieces per lb)~300-350 gest.
cornstarch1 tsp for marinade mixture, 0.5 tsp to coat surface1½ tsp
fish sauceor substitute with 1 tsp salt if unavailable1 tsp
white pepperto reduce shrimp odor1/3 tsp
king oyster mushroomsliced 1/4-inch thick1
snow peasdestrung~100 gest.
celerycut into 1/2-inch angled slices
~100 gest.
carrotcan be carved into flower pattern2 oz
gingercut into triangular slices1 oz
garlicthinly sliced1 clove
green onionwhite parts cut into 1-inch chunks, green parts sliced~2est.
oyster sauce1 tbsp
sugar½ tsp
salt½ tsp
cooking wine2 tsp for sauce, plus 1 tbsp for stir-frying2 tsp
potato starchfor sauce1 tsp
waterfor sauce1 tbsp
oilfor stir-frying1 tbsp
sesame oilfinishing oil1 tsp
cashewsroasted cashews, added at the end to maintain crunch~50-75 gest.
Steps
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1
Peel the shrimp and remove the vein from the center if not already deveined.
2
Marinate the shrimp: dissolve 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tsp fish sauce and 1/3 tsp white pepper, mix well with shrimp. Add another 0.5 tsp cornstarch and mix by hand to coat. Set aside.
3
Prepare vegetables: destring snow peas, slice king oyster mushroom into 1/4-inch pieces, cut celery into 1/2-inch angled slices, slice carrots thin (optionally carved into flowers), cut ginger into triangular slices, slice garlic thinly, and cut green onion whites into 1-inch chunks.
4
Mix the sauce: combine 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 0.5 tsp sugar, 0.5 tsp salt, 2 tsp cooking wine, 1 tsp potato starch, and 1 tbsp water. Taste to adjust.
5
Blanch vegetables: bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add carrots first, then after 40-50 seconds add celery and mushrooms, then after another 20-30 seconds add snow peas. After about 2 minutes total, scoop out vegetables and shock in cold water.
6
Blanch shrimp: briefly poach the marinated shrimp in gently boiling water for 30-40 seconds until translucent. Remove and set aside.
7
Heat wok: drain the vegetables. Heat the wok on high heat, then lower heat and add 1 tbsp oil.
8
Bloom aromatics: on low heat, add ginger and garlic, stirring for 20-30 seconds until golden and fragrant. Add green onion whites and stir another 20-30 seconds.
9
Add vegetables: increase heat to medium-high, add all blanched vegetables, and stir-fry for another 20-30 seconds until aromatic.
10
Add shrimp: add the blanched shrimp and stir-fry until everything is aromatic.
11
Season and finish: lower heat, add about 1 tbsp cooking wine, then gradually add the sauce while stirring. Stop before the mixture becomes too liquidy. Turn off heat once everything is mixed.
12
Add sesame oil: drizzle 1 tsp sesame oil as finishing oil and mix well.
13
Add cashews: mix in some roasted cashews, then top with additional cashews. Add nuts at the end, not during stir-frying, to preserve crunch and aroma.
14
Plate and serve: transfer to plates and garnish with as many cashews as desired. Serve immediately.
PrimedTableBETA
