Ingredients
1 lb raw shrimp
1/2 egg white, beaten
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt to
4 cup oil, for deep frying
1 green onions, for garnish
SWEET AND PUNGENT SAUCE
4 1/2 tbsp sugar
4 1/2 tbsp catsup
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sherry
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp minced fresh ginger root
1 tbsp chopped green onion
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp orange zest
Directions
A reader who requested the recipe for a sweet and pungent shrimp from
the Panda Inn in Pasadena won the everlasting thanks of our tasting
panel. Because it's as impossible to eat just one of these as it is
to eat a single kernel of popcorn, the recipe is often called Chinese
popcorn.
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Peel and devein the shrimp. Slice in halves lengthwise. Rinse well
and pat dry. Add the egg white to the shrimp and mix well. Mix
1-1/2tablespoons cornstarch with salt and add to shrimp. Stir to coat
well. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons oil and mix well again. Place the shrimp
in a bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours.Remove the shrimp and dust
with remaining cornstarch. Shrimp should be dry to the touch. Heat
the remaining oil in a large wok to 350 to 375 degrees. Fry the
shrimp 1-1/2 to 2 minutes until crisp, being careful to separate them
with a long- handled wooden spoon or chopsticks to prevent sticking.
It may be necessary to fry the shrimp in several batches. When done,
remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and drain well. Combine the
shrimp and the sweet and pungent sauce and toss quickly to coat.
Immediately turn out onto a platter and sprinkle with finely chopped
green onions. SWEET AND PUNGENT SAUCE: Combine the sugar, catsup,
vinegar, and salt, and set aside. Heat the oil in a wok. Add the
garlic, ginger, green onion, red pepper, and zests of lemon and
orange; cook 30 seconds. Stir in the sugar-catsup mixture.
Immediately add the sherry mixture and cook until slightly thickened.
Servings: 4 servings
Chinese Popcorn (Sweet & Pungent Shrimp) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Appetizer; Asian; Chinese; Fish; Seafood
The History of Recipes
Transcribed cooking instructions as a concept can be observed way back into distant history, at least as far back into history as the early Egyptians, and possibly even further. Interesting though that maybe, mostly, these early cook books were just primitive hieroglyphic recipes for meal preparation.
In an interesting twist, the most ancient recipe discovered so far, according to Professor Solomon Katz, are some ancient tablets in ancient Sumerian describing the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made drinkers feel blissful and exhilarated. Continuing our culinary historical journey, there are two books which were published in the fourteenth century : one book titled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary called `Curye on Inglish`. Despite their titles, these have no connection with the indian food that we all know today, but instead accounts of the types of meals served to the rich people of those days. Over the succeeding few centuries, the powerful families of the West strove to lay on the most extravagent meals, and because of this the best cooks and their collection of recipes were highly sought after. However, it wasn`t until the 19th century that haute cuisine and cookery books reached a high level of popularity. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the USA, dedicated years of their lives to collating, verifying, and writing down recipes for their fellow cooks to enjoy. The TV revolution brought us celebrity TV chefs and the demand for the accompanying recipe books. And that neatly brings us to the present day and the internet revolution, permitting everyone to search through thousands of recipes like those on the site you are now reading. |
We hope you enjoy this Chinese Popcorn (Sweet & Pungent Shrimp) recipe.
