Hong Kong Shrimp in Chili Tomato Sauce
I took a great cooking class and this is one of the recipes we did. Simple, quick, and very tasty.
I took a great cooking class and this is one of the recipes we did. Simple, quick, and very tasty.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- shrimp
- 1 teaspoon asian sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry
- 1 lb raw jumbo shrimp cleaned and butter flied
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves shredded
- cooking
- 2 tablespoons onions chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
- Carbohydrate 10.5550435360707 g
- Cholesterol 221.366280375 mg
- Fat 7.95824643632712 g
- Fiber 0.66890372264477 g
- Protein 24.5389685325186 g
- Saturated Fat 0.951021016755853 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (189g)
- Sodium 565.481598346783 mg
- Sugar 9.8861398134259 g
- Trans Fat 0.346095431934458 g
- Calories 218 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine salt, sherry and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add shrimp, stir to coat and let stand for 30 minutes. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add the oil, onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds. Add shrimp and toss until; pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sauce and cook for 1 minute or until shrimp are nicely glazed.
Tossing raw crustaceans into a ripping-hot wok means the window for success lasts exactly thirty seconds before aromatics burn. Skeptics of quick wok-cookery often end up with overcooked rubber because the residual heat of the pan keeps cooking proteins long after the burner goes off. Mastering this dish requires understanding how high heat, starches, and umami-heavy condiments interact under intense thermal conditions.
The Chemistry of the Sauce and Glaze
Velveting shrimp in a dry sherry, salt, and cornstarch slurry does more than just season the surface. As the cornstarch hydrates during the thirty-minute resting phase, it forms a protective barrier around the delicate flesh. When those coated shrimp hit the oil, the starch gelatinizes rapidly and locks in moisture. Simultaneously, the ketchup, hoisin sauce, and Worcestershire sauce undergo caramelization. Ketchup provides natural pectin and acidity, while hoisin delivers complex sugars and fermented soybean depth. The addition of sesame oil at the end introduces volatile aromatic compounds that dissolve quickly in fat, which is why it must be added off the heat or at the very tail end to prevent scorching.
- If the wok is not preheated until genuinely hot, the shrimp will steam rather than sear, releasing interior water and turning the cornstarch coating into a gummy paste.
- Substitute dry sherry with Chinese Shaoxing wine at a one-to-one ratio for a more authentic fermented grain profile without altering the liquid balance.
- Mince the fresh ginger finely; large chunks will burn within the initial thirty-second aromatic phase and impart acrid bitter notes to the finished glaze.
