Cantonese Salt-and-Pepper Lobster with Ginger and Scallions
椒盐姜葱龙虾
Serves 3 to 4 · Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: 20 minutes · Total: about 40 minutes
My family sometimes makes this dish in lieu of a Thanksgiving turkey. Turkey is fine, but it was never the thing I got excited about. In my family, the special-occasion food was usually seafood anyway: crab, lobster, steamed fish, whatever looked good that day. So if a pile of fried lobster showed up instead of a roast bird, no one was complaining.
This is dry-fried with ginger, scallions, garlic, salt, and white pepper. The lobster gets a light starch coating so the edges crisp up and the seasoning has something to hold onto. Serve it right away, while the shells are still hot.
Ingredients
Lobster
- 2 live or freshly dispatched lobsters, 1¼ to 1½ pounds each, chopped into shell-on pieces
- 3 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ¾ teaspoon ground white pepper, divided
- Neutral frying oil
Aromatics
- 8 thin slices fresh ginger
- 4 to 5 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths, whites and greens separated
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 small fresh red chile, thinly sliced, or 2 dried red chiles, cut up
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- Small pinch MSG, optional
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the lobster
Crack the claws and cut the tails into large shell-on pieces. Remove the gills and intestinal tract. Pat everything thoroughly dry.
- 2
Coat lightly
Mix the starch with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon white pepper. Apply a thin coating primarily to the exposed lobster meat. Shake off all visible excess.
- 3
Flash-fry
Heat 1½ to 2 inches of oil to approximately 350°F to 365°F. Fry three or four pieces at a time for 20 to 40 seconds, just until the shell turns red and the starch seals around the exposed meat. Drain immediately — this is only a preliminary cook, not the point at which the lobster becomes fully done.
- 4
Fry the aromatics
Leave 2 tablespoons oil in a clean wok. Cook the ginger over high heat for about 30 seconds. Add the scallion whites and cook for another 20 seconds. Add the garlic and chile and stir for only 10 to 15 seconds.
- 5
Finish the lobster
Return the lobster to the wok. Add the remaining salt, white pepper, sugar, and optional MSG. Toss for 30 seconds.
- 6
Steam briefly
Pour the Shaoxing wine around the hot edge of the wok, followed by the water. Cover and cook for 1½ to 2 minutes. Large claw sections may need another 30 seconds.
- 7
Cook it dry
Uncover and toss over the highest heat for 30 to 60 seconds, until the liquid has evaporated and the lobster looks dry, fragrant, and lightly crisp rather than saucy.
- 8
Add the scallion greens
Turn off the heat, add the greens, and toss until just wilted.
Recipe notes
Cook’s notes
- Potato starch gives the crispest coating, but cornstarch works too.
- The finished dish should look dry, not saucy — the wine and water are just enough to steam the lobster through, not to build a sauce.
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