Description
An elegant seafood dish representing Shanghai. Fresh shrimp undergo a special velveting process that turns the meat crystal clear. Flash-fried simply with salt, it focuses on the shrimp's pure sweetness and astonishingly bouncy bite.
Restaurants serving Shui Jing Xia Ren (Shanghai Crystal Shrimp)
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
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
- Egg white
- Potato starch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Superior broth
- Veg oil
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Rinse shrimp with salt, baking soda, and starch until white and clean.
- Pat bone-dry completely.
- Massage with salt, egg white, and starch, seal with oil, and rest in the fridge to create crystal translucency.
- Slip into low-temp 120°C oil and remove in seconds when they turn translucent white.
- Return to wok with minimal oil.
- Pour a splash of clear broth, season with salt, and glaze thinly with starch slurry.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Only salt! Pure shrimp umami stripped to the absolute limit
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Wash JP shrimp with salt/baking soda and velvet with egg white
Pairing
Longjing Tea / Premium Shaoxing Wine
Trivia
[Trivia] Embodies the supreme 'Qing Chao' technique. Because it requires flawless velveting skills, it is one of the most famous exam dishes to test a Shanghai chef's prowess.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Served with black vinegar. First, eat the shrimp plain to enjoy the snappy elasticity. Dipping lightly in black vinegar halfway through transforms the flavor into a noble taste resembling crab meat.
Allergen
Shrimp, Eggs