Shrimp and Egg Stir-Fry
Overview
Shrimp cooked briefly in hot oil and folded through softly scrambled egg. It is Cantonese, and it sits in Worldwide Recipes with its URL unchanged. The Chinese name explains the whole dish. Huá dàn xiā rén, 滑蛋虾仁, contains the word huá, meaning slippery or smooth, and that texture is the point: the egg is meant to be soft, silky and barely set, not dry and crumbly. Everything in the method exists to achieve it. Two details do the work. The eggs must be at room temperature, which the source flags as very important and is right about, cold eggs hitting a hot wok seize and set into firm curds instead of staying soft. And the egg goes in last, over the cooked shrimp, and is folded rather than stirred, coming off the heat while it still looks slightly underdone. The shrimp needs almost no time at all. They are done the moment they turn pink and curl, which is a matter of a minute or so, and shrimp cooked past that point go rubbery. Sesame oil goes into the beaten egg rather than the pan, which is unusual and deliberate, it seasons from within rather than burning off. It is a good example of what the source calls less is more.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Clean the shrimp. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator well before you start, cold eggs seize in a hot pan and set firm instead of staying silky.
- 2
Beat the eggs in a large bowl with the salt, white pepper and sesame oil. The sesame oil goes into the eggs rather than the pan, so it seasons from within rather than burning.
- 3
Chop the scallions.
- 4
Add the canola oil to a hot pan. Put in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, taking care not to burn it.
- 5
Tip in the shrimp and toss until they just turn pink. This happens very fast, a minute or so, and shrimp cooked longer go rubbery.
- 6
Swirl the oil around the wok and pour in the egg mixture over the shrimp.
- 7
Fold the eggs gently but quickly with a wooden spoon or spatula, as you would for scrambled eggs.
- 8
Take the pan off the heat while the eggs still look slightly underdone, they carry on setting on the plate.
- 9
Transfer to a plate, garnish with scallion and serve with steamed rice.
Africook’s Notes
- Bring the eggs to room temperature. Cold eggs in a hot wok set into firm curds and you lose the silky texture the dish is named for.
- Take the shrimp out at the moment they turn pink. A minute too long and they are rubbery.
- Fold the eggs rather than stirring them. Vigorous stirring breaks them into small dry pieces.
- Take it off the heat looking underdone. The residual heat finishes it and overcooked egg cannot be rescued.
- Sesame oil in the eggs, not the pan. It burns readily and its flavour is better carried from inside.
- Have everything ready before you start. The whole cook takes about two minutes.
Reviews
Be the first to rate this recipe
Cooked it? Your rating helps the next person decide whether to try it.
No reviews on this one yet. If you have cooked it, yours would be the first.
You Might Also Like
Liberian Jollof Rice
Dombolo (Dumplings or Steamed Bread)
Mufete
