Shanghai-Style Soy Sauce Shrimp
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as part of a shared meal · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 15 minutes · Total: 30 minutes
Shell-on shrimp take a little more work at the table, but you have to try them with this sweet soy sauce! Cut a slit along each shrimp’s back before cooking to let the sauce reach the meat. And keep a few napkins nearby.
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1 pound large raw shrimp, heads removed, shells and tails on, about 16 to 20 shrimp
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths, white and green parts separated
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- Cooked white rice, for serving
For the sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1½ tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Chinkiang black vinegar
Instructions
- 1
Clean and dry the shrimp
Use kitchen scissors to snip through the shell along the curved back of each shrimp. Make a shallow cut in the flesh and pull out the dark vein. Leave the rest of the shell and tail attached. Trim off any dangling legs.
Pat the shrimp thoroughly dry, including inside the opening along the back. Wet shrimp spit when they hit hot oil.
- 2
Mix the sauce
Stir the water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar together in a small bowl.
Keep the sauce, ginger, scallions, and Shaoxing wine beside the stove. Once the shrimp go in, you won’t have much time to measure anything.
- 3
Fry the shrimp in two batches
Heat a wide skillet or flat-bottomed wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and half the shrimp in a single layer.
Cook for about 1½ minutes without moving them. Turn and cook for another 45 to 60 seconds, until the shells turn pink and develop a few browned spots. Transfer the shrimp to a plate. They’ll finish cooking in the sauce.
Add another tablespoon of oil and repeat with the remaining shrimp.
- 4
Cook the ginger and scallions
Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the ginger, and the scallion whites. Stir for about 30 seconds, until the scallions begin to soften.
Pour in the Shaoxing wine. Let it bubble for a few seconds, then add the sauce mixture. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- 5
Reduce the sauce, then return the shrimp
Simmer the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, until it looks glossy and starts to thicken slightly.
Return the shrimp and any juices from the plate. Add the scallion greens and toss for another 1 to 2 minutes. Check the thickest shrimp through the opening in its shell. The flesh needs to look opaque all the way through.
If the shrimp finish cooking while the sauce still looks watery, lift them onto the serving plate. Reduce the sauce for another minute and pour it over them.
- 6
Serve
Serve immediately with rice. Put an empty bowl on the table for the shells.
Peel these as you eat. Pan-frying gives the shells some color, but they’ll still feel firm.
Buying shrimp and choosing a pan
Frozen raw shrimp work well. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, drain, and pat dry. Avoid precooked shrimp here. Frying and simmering them again will toughen the meat.
A 12-inch skillet or 14-inch flat-bottomed wok gives the shrimp room to touch the hot surface. With a smaller pan, cook three batches. Crowded shrimp release liquid faster than the pan can evaporate it.
Shortcuts and substitutions
Peeled shrimp: Use the same weight. Sear them briefly, remove them, and reduce the sauce separately. Return them just long enough to finish cooking.
Shaoxing wine: Substitute dry sherry, or use water if you don’t cook with alcohol.
Dark soy sauce: Replace it with another teaspoon of light soy sauce. Expect a lighter-colored sauce.
Chinkiang vinegar: Use ½ teaspoon of unseasoned rice vinegar, then taste before adding more.
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