Oil-Exploded Shrimp
By Joe Gitter, Kevin Pang & Jeffrey PangPublished on May 15, 2023
Time
45 minutes
Yield
4 to 6
Ingredients
1¼ pounds jumbo (16 to 20 per pound) or extra-jumbo (U15) head-on shrimp 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine 2 tablespoons soy sauce ½ teaspoon cornstarch 1 cup peanut or vegetable oil for frying1½ teaspoons crushed rock sugar 2 scallions, cut into 2‑inch pieces1 (1‑inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced thin1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
Before You Begin
Head-on shrimp are available at many Asian supermarkets. If you can’t find them, you can substitute 1 pound jumbo or extra-jumbo unpeeled, head-off shrimp. Patting the shrimp dry will minimize splattering in the oil, though some is inevitable.
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears, snip through back of each shrimp shell, starting at head and working toward tail. Snip off legs if desired for a cleaner look. Remove vein, leaving shell intact. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line half of rack with triple layer of paper towels. Whisk Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and cornstarch together in small bowl; set aside.
- Heat oil in 14‑inch flat-bottomed wok over medium-high heat to 400 degrees. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, carefully add half of shrimp (oil will splatter) and cook, stirring slowly but constantly, until shells turn light pink, 20 to 30 seconds. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 375 and 400 degrees. Using spider skimmer, transfer shrimp to unlined side of prepared rack. Return oil to 400 degrees and repeat with remaining shrimp; transfer to unlined side of rack.
- Return oil to 400 degrees. Carefully add half of fried shrimp to oil and cook, stirring with spider skimmer slowly but constantly, until shells turn dark orange and start to crisp at cut edges, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer shrimp to lined side of prepared rack. Return oil to 400 degrees and repeat with remaining shrimp.
- Whisk Shaoxing wine mixture to recombine. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from wok and wipe edges of wok clean with paper towels. Add sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar has melted and mixture is amber-colored, about 3 minutes. Add scallions and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to high, add shrimp and Shaoxing wine mixture, and cook, tossing slowly but constantly, until sauce has thickened and coats shrimp, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in vinegar. Serve.
Time
45 minutesYield
4 to 6Ingredients
1¼ pounds jumbo (16 to 20 per pound) or extra-jumbo (U15) head-on shrimp
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup peanut or vegetable oil for frying
1½ teaspoons crushed rock sugar
2 scallions, cut into 2‑inch pieces
1 (1‑inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
Ingredients
1¼ pounds jumbo (16 to 20 per pound) or extra-jumbo (U15) head-on shrimp
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup peanut or vegetable oil for frying
1½ teaspoons crushed rock sugar
2 scallions, cut into 2‑inch pieces
1 (1‑inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
Ingredients
1¼ pounds jumbo (16 to 20 per pound) or extra-jumbo (U15) head-on shrimp
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup peanut or vegetable oil for frying
1½ teaspoons crushed rock sugar
2 scallions, cut into 2‑inch pieces
1 (1‑inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
Why This Recipe Works
Though oil-exploded shrimp sounds like an appetizer at a Guy Fieri restaurant, it’s a literal translation of a classic dish from Shanghai, where shrimp is served in abundance. “Oil-exploded” might be better characterized as flash-fried; head-on shrimp sizzles and pops in the hot oil before being quickly stir-fried in a lightly sweet dressing. The shrimp become so crisp you can crunch through the whole thing—shell, head, and all—like a kettle chip of the sea. High heat is essential for this but risks overcooking the delicate shrimp. Cooking in batches and twice frying keeps interiors juicy by minimizing time spent in the oil.
Before You Begin
Head-on shrimp are available at many Asian supermarkets. If you can’t find them, you can substitute 1 pound jumbo or extra-jumbo unpeeled, head-off shrimp. Patting the shrimp dry will minimize splattering in the oil, though some is inevitable.
Instructions
- Using kitchen shears, snip through back of each shrimp shell, starting at head and working toward tail. Snip off legs if desired for a cleaner look. Remove vein, leaving shell intact. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line half of rack with triple layer of paper towels. Whisk Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and cornstarch together in small bowl; set aside.
- Heat oil in 14‑inch flat-bottomed wok over medium-high heat to 400 degrees. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, carefully add half of shrimp (oil will splatter) and cook, stirring slowly but constantly, until shells turn light pink, 20 to 30 seconds. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 375 and 400 degrees. Using spider skimmer, transfer shrimp to unlined side of prepared rack. Return oil to 400 degrees and repeat with remaining shrimp; transfer to unlined side of rack.
- Return oil to 400 degrees. Carefully add half of fried shrimp to oil and cook, stirring with spider skimmer slowly but constantly, until shells turn dark orange and start to crisp at cut edges, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer shrimp to lined side of prepared rack. Return oil to 400 degrees and repeat with remaining shrimp.
- Whisk Shaoxing wine mixture to recombine. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from wok and wipe edges of wok clean with paper towels. Add sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar has melted and mixture is amber-colored, about 3 minutes. Add scallions and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to high, add shrimp and Shaoxing wine mixture, and cook, tossing slowly but constantly, until sauce has thickened and coats shrimp, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in vinegar. Serve.
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