This is my favorite Szechuan recipe ever to make at home. Follow all the crazy little details for a spectacular, spicy result. Serves four as part of a Chinese dinner.
~David Rosengarten
Published: June 21, 2010
Ingredients
Directions
Peel, de-vein and butterfly the shrimp. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and allow to stand for 1/2 hour. During this time, prepare the sauce: mix together the hoisin sauce, chili sauce, shao hsing, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili paste with garlic, sesame oil, hot chili oil, sugar and MSG. Reserve. When you are ready to cook, bring the peanut oil to 375 degrees in a wok.
Thoroughly wash the salt off the shrimp with running cold water. Add another teaspoon of salt to the shrimp, mix, let stand for 30 seconds, and wash off the salt. Repeat this procedure twice more. The final time, drain well but do not dry–let some water cling to the shrimp.
Immerse half of the shrimp in the hot oil, and cook until just past translucent (20 seconds or so). Remove the shrimp to paper towels. Add the remaining shrimp. The oil will not be as hot, so this portion of shrimp may need 30 seconds to finish cooking. Remove them to paper towels.
Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the wok. Over high heat, stir-fry the ginger, garlic, scallions and dried chilies for 1 minute. Add the reserved shrimp, and toss well to blend. Add the reserved sauce, and stir to coat the shrimp. Turn the dish out onto a platter, garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired, and serve immediately.
