Delicious Szechuan Shrimp Recipe: How to Make this Spicy Chinese Dish at Home
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Szechuan shrimp is a spicy and delicious dish that is sure to impress any seafood lover. Originating from the Szechuan province in China, this dish is known for its bold flavors and fiery heat. In this recipe, we'll be using a combination of dried chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns to create a complex and mouthwatering flavor profile. Here's how to make it:
Ingredients:
1. 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2. 1/4 cup cornstarch
3. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
4. 1/4 cup dried chili peppers
5. 2 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns
6. 1 tbsp minced garlic
7. 1 tbsp minced ginger
8. 1/4 cup chopped scallions
9. 1/4 cup soy sauce
10. 2 tbsp rice vinegar
11. 2 tbsp honey
12. 1 tsp sesame oil
13. Salt, to taste
Instructions:
Begin by preparing your shrimp. Rinse the shrimp under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tails intact, and devein them. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and a pinch of salt. Toss the shrimp in the cornstarch mixture until they are fully coated.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, until they are crispy and golden brown. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add the dried chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for an additional minute.
Add the chopped scallions to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and sesame oil. Pour the mixture into the pan and stir to combine.
Add the shrimp back to the pan and stir to coat them in the sauce. Cook for an additional minute or two, until the sauce, has thickened and the shrimp are fully cooked.
Serve the Szechuan shrimp hot, garnished with additional scallions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Tips and variations:
Adjust the heat level to your liking by adding more or fewer dried chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns.
If you don't have cornstarch, you can use all-purpose flour or rice flour instead.
For a healthier version of this dish, you can bake the shrimp in the oven instead of frying them. Simply toss them in the cornstarch mixture, arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, until they are golden brown and crispy.
If you're not a fan of shrimp, you can use any other type of seafood, such as scallops or squid.
For a vegetarian version of this dish, you can use tofu instead of shrimp. Cut the tofu into small cubes, toss them in the cornstarch mixture, and bake or pan-fry until crispy. Then follow the rest of the recipe as written, using tofu instead of shrimp.
To make this dish even more authentic, you can use Chinese black vinegar instead of rice vinegar, and Chinese light soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce. These ingredients can be found at most Asian grocery stores.
Details about the recipe for Szechuan shrimp!
First of all, it's important to note that Szechuan cuisine is known for its bold and spicy flavors, and this dish is no exception. The combination of dried chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns gives the dish a complex and mouthwatering flavor profile, with a fiery heat that is sure to please spicy food lovers.
To begin the recipe, you'll need to prepare your shrimp. It's best to use large shrimp for this dish, as they will hold up better during the cooking process. Start by rinsing the shrimp under cold water and patting them dry with a paper towel. Then, peel the shrimp, leaving the tails intact, and devein them. Deveining the shrimp involves removing the dark vein that runs along the back of the shrimp, which can be done using a sharp knife or a deveining tool.
Once your shrimp are prepped, you'll need to coat them in a mixture of cornstarch and salt. This will help to give the shrimp a crispy texture when they are fried. Cornstarch is a common ingredient in Chinese cuisine and is often used as a thickener and coating for fried foods.
Next, you'll need to heat up some vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, you can add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer. It's important not to overcrowd the pan, as this can cause the shrimp to steam instead of fry. Cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes on each side, until they are crispy and golden brown. Then, remove the shrimp from the pan and set them aside on a plate or in a bowl.
In the same pan, you'll add the dried chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns. These ingredients are what give the dish its signature spiciness and depth of flavor. Cooking the dried chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns for a minute or two will help to release their oils and fragrance, which will infuse the dish with their unique flavors.
Next, you'll add minced garlic and ginger to the pan. These aromatic ingredients add a depth of flavor and complexity to the dish. Cook the garlic and ginger for about a minute, until they are fragrant.
Then, you'll add chopped scallions to the pan. Scallions are a common ingredient in Chinese cuisine, and add a fresh, onion-like flavor to the dish. Cook the scallions for about 30 seconds, until they are slightly softened.
To create the sauce for the dish, you'll need to whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and sesame oil in a small bowl. This mixture of sweet, salty, and umami flavors will balance out the heat from the chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns. Pour the sauce into the pan and stir to combine all of the ingredients.
Finally, you'll add the shrimp back to the pan and stir to coat them in the sauce. Cook the shrimp for an additional minute or two, until the sauce, has thickened and the shrimp are fully cooked. It's important not to overcook the shrimp, as this can cause them to become tough and rubbery.
When the dish is ready, you can serve it hot, garnished with additional scallions and sesame seeds, if desired. The combination of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors in this dish is sure to impress your taste buds, and it makes a great main course for a Chinese-inspired meal.