Kung Pao Shrimp
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 21, 2007
Time
45 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled and deveined1 tablespoon dry sherry or Shaoxing wine2 teaspoons soy sauce 3 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 tablespoon)½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts 6 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 ¾ to 2 inches long), 3 chiles roughly crumbled, or 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth 2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice3 medium scallions, sliced thin
Before You Begin
You can substitute unseasoned rice vinegar for the Chinkiang (or Zhenjiang) black vinegar (available in stores that stock Chinese ingredients), but we prefer the latter for its fruity, salty complexity. If you prefer roasted unsalted cashews to peanuts, substitute an equal amount. Do not eat the whole chiles in the finished dish.
Instructions
- Toss shrimp with sherry and soy sauce in medium bowl; marinate until shrimp have absorbed flavors, about 10 minutes. Mix garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil in small bowl; set aside. Combine peanuts and chiles in small bowl; set aside. Mix chicken broth, vinegar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in small bowl or measuring cup; set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add shrimp and cook, stirring about once every 10 seconds, until barely opaque, 30 to 40 seconds; add peanuts and chiles, stir into shrimp, and continue cooking until shrimp are almost completely opaque and peanuts have darkened slightly, 30 to 40 seconds longer. Transfer shrimp, peanuts, and chiles to bowl; set aside. Return skillet to burner and reheat briefly, 15 to 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, swirl to coat pan, and add red bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 45 seconds. Clear center of pan, add garlic-ginger mixture, mash into pan with spoon or spatula, and cook until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds; stir into peppers until combined. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet along with reserved shrimp, peanuts, and chiles; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, until sauce has thickened to syrupy consistency, about 45 seconds. Stir in scallions; transfer to serving plate and serve immediately.
Time
45 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
6 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 ¾ to 2 inches long), 3 chiles roughly crumbled, or 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
3 medium scallions, sliced thin
Ingredients
1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
6 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 ¾ to 2 inches long), 3 chiles roughly crumbled, or 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
3 medium scallions, sliced thin
Ingredients
1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
6 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 ¾ to 2 inches long), 3 chiles roughly crumbled, or 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice
3 medium scallions, sliced thin
Why This Recipe Works
Inspired by the traditional Sichuan dish, we wanted a recipe for kung pao shrimp that would deliver savory heat and perfectly cooked shrimp. We stir-fried marinated shrimp for just a few seconds (so that we wouldn’t overcook them) and then added small whole red chiles and peanuts. The chiles gave our dish some fire, and toasting the peanuts deepened their flavor. Finding other vegetables to be superfluous, we added diced red pepper. For a deeply flavored, syrupy sauce for our kung pao recipe, we used a mixture of chicken broth, black vinegar, toasted sesame oil, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch.
Before You Begin
You can substitute unseasoned rice vinegar for the Chinkiang (or Zhenjiang) black vinegar (available in stores that stock Chinese ingredients), but we prefer the latter for its fruity, salty complexity. If you prefer roasted unsalted cashews to peanuts, substitute an equal amount. Do not eat the whole chiles in the finished dish.
Instructions
- Toss shrimp with sherry and soy sauce in medium bowl; marinate until shrimp have absorbed flavors, about 10 minutes. Mix garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil in small bowl; set aside. Combine peanuts and chiles in small bowl; set aside. Mix chicken broth, vinegar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in small bowl or measuring cup; set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add shrimp and cook, stirring about once every 10 seconds, until barely opaque, 30 to 40 seconds; add peanuts and chiles, stir into shrimp, and continue cooking until shrimp are almost completely opaque and peanuts have darkened slightly, 30 to 40 seconds longer. Transfer shrimp, peanuts, and chiles to bowl; set aside. Return skillet to burner and reheat briefly, 15 to 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, swirl to coat pan, and add red bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 45 seconds. Clear center of pan, add garlic-ginger mixture, mash into pan with spoon or spatula, and cook until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds; stir into peppers until combined. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet along with reserved shrimp, peanuts, and chiles; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, until sauce has thickened to syrupy consistency, about 45 seconds. Stir in scallions; transfer to serving plate and serve immediately.
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