America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlicky Eggplant, Scallions, and Cashews

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 30, 2011

Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlicky Eggplant, Scallions, and Cashews

Ingredients

6 medium garlic cloves, 1 minced or pressed through garlic press, 5 thinly sliced1 pound extra-large (21-25) shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed3 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ teaspoon table salt 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons oyster sauce 2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shaoxing wine2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon white vinegar ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 teaspoons cornstarch 6 large scallions, greens cut into 1-inch pieces and whites sliced thin½ cup cashews, unsalted1 medium eggplant (about ¾ pound), cut into ¾-inch dice

Before You Begin

Serve this stir-fry with steamed white rice.

Instructions

  1. Combine minced garlic with shrimp, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and salt in medium bowl. Let shrimp marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, sherry, sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch in small bowl. Combine sliced garlic with scallion whites and cashews in small bowl.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Add scallion greens and continue to cook until scallion greens begin to brown and eggplant is fully tender, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer vegetables to medium bowl.
  4. Add remaining tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until just smoking. Add garlic-scallion-cashew mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are light pink on both sides, 1 to 1½ minutes. Whisk soy sauce mixture to recombine and add to skillet; return to high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet, toss to combine, and serve.

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlicky Eggplant, Scallions, and Cashews

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
Save

Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 medium garlic cloves, 1 minced or pressed through garlic press, 5 thinly sliced
1 pound extra-large (21-25) shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
6 large scallions, greens cut into 1-inch pieces and whites sliced thin
½ cup cashews, unsalted
1 medium eggplant (about ¾ pound), cut into ¾-inch dice

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

6 medium garlic cloves, 1 minced or pressed through garlic press, 5 thinly sliced
1 pound extra-large (21-25) shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
6 large scallions, greens cut into 1-inch pieces and whites sliced thin
½ cup cashews, unsalted
1 medium eggplant (about ¾ pound), cut into ¾-inch dice

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

6 medium garlic cloves, 1 minced or pressed through garlic press, 5 thinly sliced
1 pound extra-large (21-25) shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
6 large scallions, greens cut into 1-inch pieces and whites sliced thin
½ cup cashews, unsalted
1 medium eggplant (about ¾ pound), cut into ¾-inch dice

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

We started our stir-fried shrimp recipe by marinating the shrimp for better flavor and texture. After searing the vegetables, we sautéed the aromatics and then stir-fried the shrimp before mixing in the sauce. For an assertive sauce, we whipped up an intense garlic mixture and reduced it to a consistency that tightly adhered to the stir-fried shrimp.

Before You Begin

Serve this stir-fry with steamed white rice.

Instructions

  1. Combine minced garlic with shrimp, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and salt in medium bowl. Let shrimp marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, sherry, sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch in small bowl. Combine sliced garlic with scallion whites and cashews in small bowl.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Add scallion greens and continue to cook until scallion greens begin to brown and eggplant is fully tender, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer vegetables to medium bowl.
  4. Add remaining tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until just smoking. Add garlic-scallion-cashew mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are light pink on both sides, 1 to 1½ minutes. Whisk soy sauce mixture to recombine and add to skillet; return to high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet, toss to combine, and serve.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.