Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce

Method7 steps · about 30 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Prepare all the bowls before heating the wok. Heat the 1½ cups ready low-sodium chicken stock until hot, then mix it with 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, ½ tsp sesame oil, ¼ tsp sugar and ⅛ tsp white pepper. Give the 1½ tbsp whole fermented black beans a quick rinse in a strainer and drain. Mince the garlic (1 clove) and ginger (1/4 teaspoon), finely dice the green pepper, lightly beat the egg (1) and chop the scallion (1). In a separate bowl, whisk 2½ tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water. Keep the peeled, deveined shrimp chilled until step 4.

   Uses 1½ cups ready low-sodium chicken stock, heated until hot · 1 tablespoon oyster sauce · 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce · 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil · 1/4 teaspoon sugar · 1/8 teaspoon white pepper · 1 1/2 tablespoons fermented black beans · 1 clove garlic (minced)

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Bring the separate 2–3 cups blanching water to a boil in the wok. Stir in all 4 oz ground pork, breaking up clumps, and boil about 1 minute until no longer pink. Lift it with a fine-mesh strainer and drain; if desired, briefly rinse away foam with clean water. Discard the blanching water. The pork will finish cooking with the shrimp and sauce in the following steps.

   Blanch ground pork · 1 minUses 2–3 cups water for blanching pork · 4 oz ground pork · Clean water only if rinsing the blanched pork

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Clean and dry the wok, then heat it over medium-high heat. Add all 2 tbsp vegetable oil, the minced garlic and ginger, diced green pepper and drained fermented black beans from step 1, and the drained pork from step 2. Stir-fry for about 20 seconds.

   Pork, beans and aromatics · 1 minUses 2 tablespoons vegetable oil · Prepared aromatics, pepper and beans only, excluding the sauce, slurry, shrimp and egg · All drained pork, excluding discarded blanching and rinse water

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Add the chilled shrimp from step 1 to the pork, beans and oil from step 3. Pour the 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine around the hot sides of the wok and stir-fry for another 20 seconds. Continue immediately with the sauce; this brief sear is not the final shrimp-doneness check.

   Shrimp and wine sear · 1 minUses Stir-fried pork, beans, aromatics and pan oil · All 12 oz shrimp, excluding the other prepared bowls · 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Stir the hot-stock sauce bowl from step 1 and pour it into the wok from step 4. Bring to a simmer. Re-whisk the separate cornstarch slurry and add it gradually while stirring until the sauce coats a spoon; you may not need all the slurry. If too thick, add a little of the extra water. If too thin, stir in a little more of the reserved slurry and let it thicken. Keep the sauce simmering while the pork and shrimp finish cooking.

   Uses Shrimp, pork, beans, aromatics and pan oil · The complete sauce bowl, excluding the slurry and other prepared foods · Only enough of the 2½ tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water slurry to thicken; unused slurry remains · Extra water, only if needed to thin the sauce

6. 6

   Step 6: Pour the lightly beaten egg from step 1 across the simmering sauce from step 5. Simmer for about 10 seconds to begin setting the egg, then fold it gently in step 7.

   Set the swirled egg · 1 minUses Simmering shrimp, pork and thickened black-bean sauce · The one beaten egg only, excluding the remaining prepared scallion and bowls

7. 7

   Step 7: Gently fold the setting egg into the sauce from step 6 with a few strokes. Fold in the chopped scallion from step 1. Continue as needed until the egg and ground pork are fully cooked and reach at least 71°C, and the shrimp are fully opaque. Serve immediately, with separately prepared cooked rice if desired.

   Uses Shrimp, pork, egg and black-bean sauce · All chopped scallion, excluding the other prepared bowls · Ready cooked rice, optional for serving