When I teach cooking classes, one of the questions students ask most frequently is what is my favorite dish to cook again and again. Talk about hard questions! I’m constantly testing so many new recipes for this blog and other projects that I don’t get to go back to old favorites as often as I should.
But of course, there are recipes I frequently crave and try to work in on nights when I’m not testing out new recipes. One is buttermilk roast chicken, a delicious standby for when friends come by for dinner. Another is chicken adobo and its coconut variation, which I frequently daydream about and could make in my sleep. And yet another is anything kung pao.
Kung pao chicken is such a standby in my kitchen because of both its mouthwatering sauce and its ease of preparation. But from time to time, I also make kung pao shrimp as a variation. The prep time is roughly the same, or even faster if you buy your shrimp already cleaned and deveined.
For kung pao shrimp, I adjust the sauce quantities to account for the shrimp not being marinated beforehand like chicken, but the end result is still a delicious mix of savory, spicy, and tangy with a hint of sweetness and some crunch from the peanuts. The key is drying the shrimp all around with paper towels, so they get a nice even sear in the wok. The actual cooking is super-easy and takes just 5 minutes or less.
- 1 pound large shrimp
- 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
- 8 to 10 dried red chilis
- 3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced or grated ginger
- ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
- 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar, or substitute good-quality balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Blot the shrimp all around with paper towels to get rid of excess moisture.
- Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, and Sichuan pepper. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch is dissolved and set aside.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the base. Add the chilis and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until the chilis have just begun to blacken and the oil is slightly fragrant. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until mostly pink on the outside but not yet cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce and mix to coat the other ingredients. Stir in the peanuts and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle the scallion greens on top, and serve.
I’ve never had kung pao shrimp before but I love kung pao chicken in restaurants. Just have to find some Chinese vinegar!
Oh yum. Hard to beat spicy shrimp!
How long do the leftovers keep in the fridge?
This sounds great. I’m going to triple the portions and make it for a potluck this weekend. Thanks!
This looks fantastic. I had a spicy shrimp once in Montreal at a Chinese restaurant and I think it was this Kung Pao Shrimp. The ingredients might me a little difficult to find for me but I still can’t wait to try it!
I’ve been following your blog for awhile now and thought it was about time that I left a comment. Love your use of shrimp instead of chicken. I’m a big fan of anything spicy so this is right up my alley!
Your Kung Pao shrimp looks lovely. Thanks for sharing the wonderfully simple and rapid recipe
Made this last night for guests and they said it was the best kung pao shrimp ever. Thanks for posting this recipe.
This dish with shrimps looks delicious, I will try it soon!
Ciao.
Just out of curiosity, what’s the percentage of the alcohol content in the rice wine that you use? I was trying to buy rice wine at the supermarket over the weekend and noticed that different brands had a different percentage. Is there a specific brand that you would recommend?
Dora – I use Shaoxing rice wine with the Pagoda Brand, which has 15% alcohol according to the label. It’s the rice wine I recommend, because many of the other “Shaoxing” wines from China tend to be of lower quality. Here is what the bottle should look like: http://www.asiandumplingtips.com/2010/02/shaoxing-rice-wine-a-buying-guide.html
Hope that helps!
An absolutely delicious dish !
I wouldn’t change a thing.
A couple of tips:
The peppers and scallions are most easily cut with scissors.
Don’t forget to peel the shrimp beforehand.
Measure out all dry ingredients first. Then the wet. Less cleaning of measuring spoons this way.
I used a very hot cast iron Bodum Wok. Open the windows first ! Cooking can be smokey !!
I used Sesame Oil instead of Peanut Oil, and common Pepper. I don’t know if real Peanut Oil and Sichuan Pepper would make any difference.
I used pre-chopped California Garlic.
I used Medium Shrimp, which I prefer. Not the tiny ones – Ughh.
Oh yeah.
I also cut the long, red, Cayenne Peppers with a scissors, into short 1/2″ strips, diagonally. I think small pieces are distributed through the mix better. Whole peppers can be too much to digest !
I like it HOT, but other family members do not. I used plenty of hot peppers, but surprisingly, when they are cut into smallish pieces no one complained.
Made this for dinner tonight while my son is home from school and he and my wife loved it. Highly recommended.