Name: Hunan Hot-and-Spicy Shrimp ( )
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 Servings
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 1 pound large shrimp (40 count per pound); ¼ cup peanut oil; 1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 tablespoon mung bean starch; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine; ½ cup ¼ -inch-dice shallots; 2 tablespoons peanut oil; 2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg whites; 1½ tablespoons Shaoxing wine; Pinch of white pepper; 2 teaspoons light soy sauce; 2 teaspoons white rice vinegar; 5 tablespoons ketchup; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 1½ teaspoons pepper flakes from Hot Pepper Oil; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1½ teaspoons sugar

Preparation info

Makes
4 to 6
Servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking

By Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Published 2009

About

The chefs of Hunan are fond of hot oils and use them skillfully. Hot oils and hot peppers not only provide heat, but also season, balance, and complement, which are the criteria I stress when teaching this dish. These spicy-hot ingredients are particularly common in western China because many preparations are preserved, and hot pepper and oils can mask the taste that comes with preservation. The pepper flakes used to make the hot oils are even more intensely flavored than the oils.