Paul and I received a lovely set of new woks and an outdoor gas stove powered by propane gas from my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas. During their visit to Memphis from Hong Kong, Trey and Vivian Cole helped us season the new pig iron and carbon steel woks and made a fantastic multi-course dinner from their repertoire of favorite Chinese recipes.
I’ve learned a great deal about cooking Chinese food from Trey and Vivian’s family during our visits in Memphis and Hong Kong. When I visited them during Chinese New Year, Vivian and her mother taught me to make dumplings, pulled noodles and many other dishes. I love cooking with family.
I plan to put the new woks to good use and include the following shrimp stir fry recipe on my dinner menu when celebrating the Lunar New Year on January 25, 2020. This shrimp dish cooks best on a high-flame gas stove in a wok. We found all the ingredients at the Viet Ho Market in the Crosstown neighborhood of Memphis.
Trey and Vivian's Shrimp Stir Fry
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp spicy fermented bean paste (豆瓣醬）
- 2 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- Whole cloves from 1 head of garlic
- A peeled thumb of thick-sliced ginger
- 1/3 cup of peanut oil
- 1 cup of dried red chilis
- 1 lb of large whole shrimp
Directions:
- Mix light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, spicy fermented bean paste (豆瓣醬）and shaoxing rice wine into a small bowl.
- Heat oil in wok and fry garlic and ginger for about 1 minute.
- Throw in dried chilis and stir. Break them open beforehand if you want it really spicy. Fry for 10-20 seconds on high heat.
- Throw in whole shrimp and stir.
- Fry shrimp until done, about 4-6 minutes (will turn from grey to pink) and serve.
Place at the Table 