China Entree

Shrimp with Snow Peas
(Serves 6-8)

A bit of shrimp, a handful of snowpeas, and a tasty sauce. Delicious—and easier than it looks.

Shrimp & Marinade
1 1/2 lb. shrimp (shelled)
1 T rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ginger root (minced)
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. sesame oil
_____________

Seasoning Sauce
2 T chicken broth
6 T water
1 tsp. cornstarch
5 T oyster sauce * (see sidebar)


1/2 C vegetable oil **
2 small cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. fresh snow peas

Marinate: combine 5 marinade ingredients in a large bowl, add shrimp, and marinate for 30 minutes.

Sauce: in a separate bowl, combine ingredients for seasoning sauce. Set aside.

Stir-fry shrimp: remove shrimp from marinade and pat dry. Heat oil in a wok or skillet over high heat for 30 seconds. Add garlic for 30 seconds, stir-frying till golden; then add shrimp and stir-fry for another 30 seconds till pink. Remove and drain shrimp. Set aside.

Final stir-fry: add salt and snow peas to oil in wok. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, add seasoning sauce, stir frying until sauce thickens slightly. Return cooked shrimp to wok, coating with sauce, and serve hot with rice.

* Oyster sauce gives this dish its distinctive flavor. Don't skip it.

** Reduce vegetable oil for cooking if you want, but have extra chicken broth on hand if sauce becomes too thick.

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Tips & Glossary

Many ingredients used in Chinese cooking probably aren’t in your spice shelf, but you can find them at Asian grocery stores. To avoid frustration, make a list of the items before trying recipes.

Agar Agar: dried seaweed used as a gelatin. Buy it in sticks (or strips) and soak in cold water to soften.

Chili Oil: buy it or make your own. For a recipe, see Hunan Chicken.

Chinese Cabbage: aka “Nappa”;long, white stalks with light green crinkly leaves.

Deep Frying: use a deep-fry thermometer to reach the recipe's correct temperature; if the oil isn't hot enough, the food will be soggy. When cool, the oil can be strained, refrigerated, and re-used.

Dried Shrimp: tiny, salted, sun-dried shrimp that add a pungent flavor to Asian cooking. Soak before using.

Five-Spice Powder: blend of star anise, cinamon, cloves, fennel and Szechuan peppercorns. Like allspice.

Peppersalt: buy or make your own. Heat 2 T Szechuan peppercorns in skillet 5 min. Grind into powder and mix with 2 T salt.

Sauces: Hoisin (sweet, from soybeans); Oyster (like soy, from oysters); Sweet Bean (canned, salty, from soybeans); Hot Bean (hot & salty, from soybeans and peppers).

Sesame Paste: from gound sesame seeds; substitute with peanut butter.

Sweet Rice Powder: from glutinous rice; used in place of flour in many desserts.

Szechuan peppercorns: dried reddish berries, fragrant and mildly hot.