A classic Chinese soup dish featuring fresh seafood served with crispy homemade rice crackers. When the hot soup is poured over freshly fried rice crackers, they sizzle dramatically. Some crackers absorb the savory broth and become tender, while others remain crunchy, creating a delightful contrast of textures and flavors.
cooking oil (for cooking)as needed, for sautéing~2 tbspest.
Steps
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1
Prepare the rice crackers: wash and drain 1.5 cups of rice thoroughly. Use jasmine, sushi, or glutinous rice; avoid basmati and brown rice as their grains won't stick together after cooking.
2
In a saucepan, add 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce to low heat, and cook for 15 minutes until the rice is tender. Fluff the grains, ensuring the rice is neither wet nor dry with no burning at the bottom.
3
Season the cooked rice with 0.5 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp garlic powder, and ground black pepper to taste; mix well.
4
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the seasoned rice evenly on it. Press it down firmly so grains stay together (about 1/3 inch thick). Do not use aluminum foil as it causes sticking.
5
Place the rice tray in an oven set to 200°F without preheating and dehydrate for 3.5 hours. Open the oven door every 30 minutes to release steam.
6
Remove the parchment paper from the fully dried rice and break it into bite-size pieces. Store in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 6 months until ready to deep-fry.
7
Prepare the seafood: with 300g of whole shrimp, tear off the heads and use scissors to cut along the back, peel the shells and remove the veins. Reserve the heads and shells for making the flavorful broth.
8
Prepare the squid tubes: score the inside with diagonal parallel lines at approximately 45 degrees, about 1/2 deep without cutting through. Then make another set of diagonal lines in the opposite direction to create a crisscross pattern.
9
Pat the scallops dry with paper towels. To make this dish more budget-friendly, you can substitute with a bag of frozen seafood mix instead of buying individual seafood items.
10
Season all the seafood with 0.5 tsp salt, ground black pepper to taste, and a drizzle of cooking oil; mix well and set aside.
11
Prepare the vegetables: peel and slice the carrot thinly; tear off bok choy leaves after trimming and roughly slice them; tear mushroom into bite-size pieces. Finely dice 3 garlic cloves, thinly slice 0.5 inch of ginger, and thinly slice 1 shallot.
12
Heat a wok over high heat, add a drizzle of oil, and sear the seasoned seafood until golden. Remove the squid immediately once it curls as it cooks quickly. Watch the shrimp and scallops carefully and remove when the color is right.
13
In the same wok, add another drizzle of oil, then add the shrimp heads, shells, garlic, ginger, and shallots. Stir over low heat for a few minutes until the shrimp heads turn pink and release their orange flavoring.
14
Season with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and tomato paste to taste; stir until well combined. Switch to high heat and pour in 2 cups of hot water (boiled with an electric kettle). The boiling water will bubble vigorously against the hot wok, helping extract more flavor from the shells.
15
Cover the wok and simmer over low heat for a couple of minutes. Strain out all the solid ingredients using a sieve, keeping only the flavorful shrimp broth.
16
Add the carrot, mushrooms, and bok choy to the broth. Return the cooked seafood to the wok and stir for 30–40 seconds.
17
Mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp water and pour into the soup; stir until thickened. Taste and adjust saltiness as needed.
18
Set the finished seafood soup aside. Heat the cooking oil to 400°F for deep-frying the rice crackers.
19
Add the rice crackers to the hot oil and stir gently. Fry for 30–40 seconds until golden brown, then scoop out with a sieve and place on a serving plate.
20
Immediately pour the hot seafood soup over the hot rice crackers—they will sizzle dramatically. Eat right away to enjoy the best texture: some crackers absorb the savory broth and become tender, while others stay crispy, creating a delightful contrast.
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