Name: Fluffy Spicy Shrimp (辣醬炒蝦仁)
Yield: This serves 2 to 4 with rice.
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons dry sherry; Sprinkling black pepper; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 egg, well beaten; 2 tablespoons catsup; 2 tablespoons light soy sauce; 2 teaspoons cider vinegar; 2 teaspoons sugar; 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water; 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 2 teaspoons hot bean sauce; 1 medium clove garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons finely minced peeled ginger; 1 pound very small shrimp; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 1 tablespoon oil; 2 large whole scallions, finely chopped; 2 cups oil for the velveting

Preparation info

This serves
2 to 4
with rice.

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Key to Chinese Cooking

By Irene Kuo

Published 1977

About

Coated with a whole egg so the texture is fluffy, this shrimp is then stir-fried with a chili sauce.

You need very small shrimp for this dish, called hsia-jein in Chinese, meaning they are as tiny as the young pit of a small fruit. Sold under the name TT shrimp commercially here, they are available frozen. If you cannot get any, buy the smallest shrimp you can; then cut each crosswise once. As with all highly seasoned dishes, the ingredients should be small or finely cut so t