Description
A popular Taiwanese banquet menu to enjoy texture contrast, where finely minced shrimp, water chestnuts, and fried Youtiao (Taiwanese fried dough) are briefly sautéed and eaten wrapped in crisp cold lettuce.
Restaurants serving Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Peeled shrimp
- Lettuce
- Youtiao(Fried dough)
- Water chestnuts(Bi Qi)
- Celery
- White pepper
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- [Xia Song (Shrimp Mince) Prep] Finely mince fresh peeled shrimp (dice small to retain texture, do not pound into paste). Season with salt, egg white, potato starch.
- Finely mince 'water chestnuts (Bi Qi)' for crunch, celery, and scallions.
- Finely crush 'Youtiao' (long fried dough used in Taiwan breakfasts), bake further in an oven (or pan) until ultra-crispy.
- Heat oil in a wok, velvet the shrimp briefly and remove.
- Sauté scallions, celery, water chestnuts in the wok, return shrimp. Season simply with salt and white pepper.
- [Serving] Plate the sautéed shrimp mince, top with the crushed crispy Youtiao.
- Serve alongside a separate plate of 'lettuce (Sheng Cai)' crisped in ice water. Wrap the shrimp mince in lettuce and eat by hand.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Celery and White pepper freshness
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Crushed fried wonton wrappers (sub for Youtiao), Lotus root (sub for water chestnut)
Pairing
Premium Taiwan Oolong Tea or White Wine
Trivia
[For Everyone] A high-end dish originally devised in Taiwan by Hunan chef 'Peng Chang-kuei' (inventor of General Tso's Chicken). An extremely entertaining dish where 4 textures—lettuce 'crisp', water chestnut 'crunch', shrimp 'plump', and Youtiao 'crisp'—sing a grand chorus in your mouth.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Place shrimp mince on crispy lettuce, and drop just a few drops of 'Taiwanese mayonnaise' before wrapping; it mellows the flavor and delights kids!
Allergen
Shrimp, Wheat (from Youtiao), Egg