Hibiscus Shrimp (Shrimp over Steamed Egg White Custard)
A tender, silky hot dish pairing shrimp with egg white custard (steamed egg whites).
Ingredients
Shrimp (washed and drained)
100 g
Eggs (whites for steaming the custard; yolks may be reserved)
3
Chicken broth (for steaming the custard and finishing the sauce)
250 g
Peanut oil (for stir-frying the shrimp)
25 g
Shaoxing wine (for marinating the shrimp)
15 g
MSG
1 g
Cornstarch (for coating the shrimp)
20 g
Soy sauce (for the sauce)
5 g
Salt
a pinch
Instructions
1
Marinate the Shrimp
Rinse the shrimp and drain well. Place in a bowl, add the egg white, Shaoxing wine, salt, and MSG, and mix well. Then stir in the cornstarch until the mixture forms a thick, smooth paste.
2
Steam the Egg White Custard
In a separate heatproof bowl, combine the remaining egg whites, chicken broth, MSG, and salt. Whisk steadily in one direction until evenly blended, then steam over rapidly boiling water over high heat for 20 minutes until set into a delicate custard.
3
Stir-Fry the Shrimp and Assemble
Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat, slide in the marinated shrimp and stir-fry just until they curl and separate, then drain off the oil. Leave a thin layer of oil in the wok, add the stock, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, vinegar, salt, and MSG, and bring to a boil. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry, return the shrimp to the wok, toss briefly to coat, then immediately pour everything over the steamed custard and serve.
