Title: CHINESE POPCORN (SWEET & PUNGENT SHRIMP)
Categories: Seafood, Oriental, Main dish, Appetizers
Yield: 4 servings
1 lb Raw shrimp
1/2 Egg white; beaten
1 c Cornstarch
1/2 ts Salt
3 -to
4 c Oil; for deep frying
Green onions; for garnish
------------------SWEET AND PUNGENT SAUCE------------------
4 1/2 tb Sugar
4 1/2 tb Catsup
1/4 c Vinegar
1/2 ts Salt
1 tb Sherry
1/2 ts Cornstarch
1 ts Oil
2 lg Garlic cloves; minced
3/4 ts Minced fresh ginger root
1 tb Chopped green onion
1 ts Crushed red pepper
1 ts Lemon zest
1 ts Orange zest
A reader who requested the recipe for a sweet and
pungent shrimp from the Panda Inn in Pasadena won the
everlasting thanks of our tasting panel. Because it's
as impossible to eat just one of these as it is to eat
a single kernel of popcorn, the recipe is often called
Chinese popcorn.
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Peel and devein the shrimp. Slice in halves
lengthwise. Rinse well and pat dry. Add the egg
white to the shrimp and mix well. Mix
1-1/2tablespoons cornstarch with salt and add to
shrimp. Stir to coat well. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons oil
and mix well again. Place the shrimp in a bowl and
refrigerate at least 2 hours.Remove the shrimp and
dust with remaining cornstarch. Shrimp should be dry
to the touch. Heat the remaining oil in a large wok to
350 to 375 degrees. Fry the shrimp 1-1/2 to 2 minutes
until crisp, being careful to separate them with a
long- handled wooden spoon or chopsticks to prevent
sticking. It may be necessary to fry the shrimp in
several batches. When done, remove the shrimp with a
slotted spoon and drain well. Combine the shrimp and
the sweet and pungent sauce and toss quickly to coat.
Immediately turn out onto a platter and sprinkle with
finely chopped green onions. SWEET AND PUNGENT SAUCE:
Combine the sugar, catsup, vinegar, and salt, and set
aside. Heat the oil in a wok. Add the garlic, ginger,
green onion, red pepper, and zests of lemon and
orange; cook 30 seconds. Stir in the sugar-catsup
mixture. Immediately add the sherry mixture and cook
until slightly thickened.
