Salt-Leeching Shrimp

Appears in
Chinese Technique
Chinese Technique

By Ken Hom

Published 1981

  • About
Salt-leeching cuts through the sticky film on the outside of shelled shrimp, makes the shrimp crunchy, and gives them a glossy cast. It does not wash away flavor, but rather gives the shrimp what can only be described as a cleaner taste.
  1. Toss the shrimp in salt (use 2 teaspoons coarse— kosher—salt per pound for each toss) to coat them well. Let stand about 1 minute.

  2. Rinse and drain the shrimp.

  3. Repeat the salting and draining procedure twice more. Then pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.