You Tiao + Chinese Drunken Shrimp = You Drunken Chinese Man!!

"So are you going to make the Taco Soup tonight?"

*sigh* "Yeah, I guess so..."

6 hours later... "Hey, Eleyna, you are cooking dinner tonight."

"Okay, what are we having?"

"Taco Soup."

"Okay. What do I do first?"

10 minutes later... "Can I just turn the stove up to 'high' so that we can eat sooner? I don't want to wait for 20 minutes."

20 minutes later, we had dinner.  It was a successful experiment, and all I ended up doing was opening the cans of beans and corn.  Piece of cake.  It is nice to know that with minimal supervision, even our 11 year old can make a tasty meal.

Now, all I have to do is train her on the finer points of cooking.  She has mastered scrambled eggs and taco soup.  Next up? Chinese food.  I will probably test her patience with some variety of Shanghai styled cuisine. 

While Shanghai is one of the largest and prosperous regions of China,  it does not have its own "true" style of cuisine.  Instead, it blends tastes and flavors from surrounding provinces while incorporating cooking elements and ingredients specific to their location. 

One particular element that makes Shanghai Cuisine distinctive is their use of alcohol.  It goes as far as creating labels for their food directly relating to the use of wines and spirits.  "Drunken Shrimp," which uses a native red wine is one of my favorites.  (Here in the Western world, the term is used to describe shrimp that have been marinated in alcohol prior to eating, but the true Chinese interpretation of the meal is best described as eating live uncooked shrimp* that have been "stunned" by immersion in alcohol.)  If live shrimp cannot be found to best make this recipe, then frozen shrimp will suffice. 

*Please note that I am not advocating eating raw or undercooked shellfish, as it can pose a significant health hazard.

Because Shanghai is close to the East China Sea, accessibility to fresh seafood is not a problem.  This access also creates a high demand for dishes including hairy crab and oysters.

My personal favorite food item that is of the Shanghai influence? A nifty, fried bread stick called You Tiao.  (pronounced yo tee-ow.)  Yum... memories of this wonderful breadstick bring to mind trips to San Francisco's Chinatown and seeing  it stacked in bakery display cases and having to make a quick detour into the store to buy some.  Mom would buy it a couple sticks at a time, and if we were lucky, it would last for more than a block as we wandered our way down Market Street.  It was always best when hot, but it went GREAT with rice porridge that had flakes of fresh fish tossed in at the last minute.

I remember one time when my sister and I were really young, (yeah, ages ago) and Mom had bought some You Tiao to go with the won-ton soup that she had made.  (Hey, there is a great idea for the next recipe...)  My sister and I were tasked with cutting the strips of You Tiao, which start out about 24 inches long, into half inch pieces.  We could not help but snack on it while cutting it, and there were times when even Dad would get in on the poaching.  Often, Mom was lucky if half the stick made it to the serving plate.

Sadly, there are no truly authentic Chinese bakeries here in South Texas so I have had to find my own recipe for making You Tiao.  I just hope that it can be replicated as closely as possible to the real thing.  So, for next week's meal? Drunken Shrimp with steamed rice and You Tiao.  Yum...Can't wait...

Until then, Good Eating, Friends...

Colin's Drunken Shrimp

Ingredients

1 pound shrimp, shell on

4 cups water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon vinegar

6 to 8 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Wine or sherry

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 slices fresh ginger root

Directions

1. Wash shrimp. Remove legs, leaving shells intact; then devein.

2. Boil water and poach shrimp until pink (about 2 minutes); then drain.

3. Combine soy sauce, sherry and salt; pour over shrimp and toss. Let stand 1 hour, turning occasionally. Drain, discarding marinade.

4. Mince ginger root and sprinkle over shrimp. Also sprinkle vinegar over. Let stand 30 minutes more, turning occasionally; then serve.
(A blend of balsamic vinegar, sesame oil and garlic makes a perfect dipping sauce for these shrimp.)

Colin's You Tiao

Ingredients

*6 c. (1 lbs) high protein flour

*2 c. water

*1 T. baking powder

*2 t. baking soda

*1.5 t. alum

*1.5 t. salt

*oil

Directions

1. Place ingredients of ammonim bicarbonate, baking soda, alum and salt in a mixing bowl; add water and stir until the ingredients have dissolved. Add flour and mix well; let stand for 15-20 minutes.

Use hand to take some dough from around edges and drop into the center of the dough; let stand for 15-20 minutes. Continue to drop the dough in the center of the bowl 3 or 4 times until the dough is elastic and smooth.

Turn the dough over and lightly coat the surface with oil so that the dough will stay moist. Let it stand for 1 hour.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a sheet of plastic wrap; wrap the dough and form it into a rectangular shape. Let it stand for 4 hours. If a large batch is made, cut the dough into several 1.25 lbs. pieces, then wrap each piece in a sheet of plastic wrap.

Unwrap the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough and strech it into a long strip. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape, 3'' wide and 0.1'' thick.

Crosswise cut the rectangular shaped dough into strips, 0.25'' wide.

Put two strips on top of each other; Use a thin rod (skewer) or the back of a cleaver to press lengthwise in middle of the strips; this will attach them securely to each other. Follow the same step for the other strips.

Heat the oil for deep-frying; anout 350 degrees.

 Pick up a strip from the ends and gently stretch it to make it longer. Carefully drop it into the hot oil and turn it over continuously with chopsticks until the crueller expands and turns golden brown; remove.


   

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Seafood Recipes

Colin's Successful Shrimp Scampi

 

Ingredients:

 

• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 ounce freshly grated parmesan cheese

 

Directions

 

Put the shrimp on a large pie pan or plate and pat them completely dry with a paper towel. Arrange the shrimp so they lay flat and are evenly spaced.

 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the skillet. When the foaming subsides, crank up the heat to high, and invert the plate of shrimp over the pan so the shrimp fall into the pan all at once. Cook the shrimp, without moving them, for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl.

 

Return the skillet to the heat and pour in the wine and lemon juice. Boil the liquid until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir the parsley into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.

 

Divide the shrimp among 4 plates over cooked pasta or arrange on a platter and serve.

Colin's Drunken Shrimp

 

Ingredients

 

• 1 pound shrimp, shell on
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 6 to 8 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Wine or sherry
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 slices fresh ginger root

 

Directions

1. Wash shrimp. Remove legs, leaving shells intact; then devein.

2. Boil water and poach shrimp until pink (about 2 minutes); then drain.

3. Combine soy sauce, sherry and salt; pour over shrimp and toss. Let stand 1 hour, turning occasionally. Drain, discarding marinade.

4. Mince ginger root and sprinkle over shrimp. Also sprinkle vinegar over. Let stand 30 minutes more, turning occasionally; then serve.

 

(A blend of balsamic vinegar, sesame oil and garlic makes a perfect dipping sauce for these shrimp.)

 

Crispy Chrysanthemum Fish in Sweet and Sour Sauce

 

Chinese Style

Makes: 4 servings

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. firm white fishfillets, such as catfish or Tilapia
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
• 1/8 cup Shaoxing wine
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 3 Tbsps. plum sauce
• 2 Tbsps. light brown sugar, packed
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup minced celery
• 1/4 cup sliced carrots
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup minced green bell pepper
• vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

 

Cooking:

 

1. Lay one of the fillets on a cutting board with the tail end facing you. Working with a thin-bladed knife and holding the blade parallel to the cutting board, cut through the center of the fillet starting at one of the long sides. Do not cut all the way through the fillet: the idea is to ‘butterfly’ it, so it opens up like a book. Close the fillet back up and cut it crosswise—through the uncut side—into 1/2-inch wide strips. Sprinkle fish filets with salt and pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes.

 

2. Prepare the seasonings: Whisk the ketchup, vinegar, plum sauce, chicken stock, and brown sugar together in a small bowl until well blended.

 

3. Heat a 2-quart saucepan over high heat until hot. Add oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the celery, carrot, onion and bell pepper and stir-fry until vegetables begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the seasonings, bring the sauce to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low to keep the sauce warm.

 

4. Pour enough vegetable oil into the wok to a depth of 3-inches. Heat over medium-high heat to 375 F. Dust the fish strips with cornstarch to coat them lightly and shake gently to remove any excess. Hold one of the fish strips by the uncut end and slowly lower the cut end into the oil. Gently move the fish constantly as you lower it so the cut ends begin to curl. When the ends begin to curl, release the fish into the oil. Repeat with as many of the remaining fish fillets as will fit into the oil without crowding. Cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the fillets with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining fillet strips.

 

5. Arrange the fried fillets on a warm platter with the curled ends facing up. Spoon the sauce over the fish and garnish with steamed bok choy. Serve immediately

Black Pepper Shrimp

 

Ingredients:

 

• 2 pounds whole jumbo-size shrimp in their shells, heads left on
• 2 Tablespoons corn oil
• 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 red hot chili pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 shallots, peeled and minced
• 1/4 cup corn oil
• 1/4 cup rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 Tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

 

Preparation

1. Remove the tiny feet of each shrimp, leave head and tail on. Then rinse well and paper-towel dry them.

2. Heat oil and saute ginger, garlic, chili pepper, and shallots for one minute then add shrimp and stir-fry for two minutes.

3. Add wine and cover and cook another two minutes, then remove cover and add the salt and pepper and stir for a minute, then serve over rice.

 

Crispy Tea Shrimp

 

Ingredients:

 

• 12 large shrimp
• dash of coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine or sherry
• 1 teaspoon minced green scallion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons white tea leaves, ground fine
• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons plain or tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 cup corn oil

 

Preparation:

 

1. Shell and devein the shrimp, then mix them with the salt, rice wine, scallion, ginger, tea leaves, egg, flour, and sesame oil. Let them marinate about ten minutes.

2. Heat oil. Remove a shrimp from the batter mixture and deep fry for one minute. Do not fry more than a few at a time. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until done, and when all are fried, serve.

 

 

 

 *Honey Walnut Prawns

 

 Ingredients:

 

 

• 1 lb of Large Shrimps, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup Walnut
• 5 cups Water
• 1 cup Sugar 
• 2 cups Oil
• 1/2 cup Cornstarch 
• 1/2 cup Egg whites
• 2 Tbs Honey 
• 3 Tbs Mayonnaise 
• 1 Tbs Fresh lemon juice 
• 1/2 Tbs Condensed milk
• 1/2 cup Oil

 

Directions:

 

1. Rinse walnuts, then boil in 5 cups water, continually changing water until clear.

 

2. When clear, boil with sugar until sugar dissolves.

 

 3. Heat 2 cups oil until almost smoking, then deep fry walnuts until they're shiny and brown, no longer golden.

 

4. Place walnuts to cookie sheet, let cool.

 

5. Mix cornstarch and egg whites together to form a thick, sticky texture and mix well with Shrimp. Set aside. Mix honey, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and condensed milk in a medium bowl until smooth.

 

6. Heat oil until boiling, then deep fry the Shrimp until golden brown.

 

7. Drain, then fold in honey mayonnaise mixture. Mix well, sprinkle with walnuts, and arrange on platter

 

   

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