Welcome to Seasoned Cooking and to Phil's International Flair!
Before getting into this month's recipe, I am proud to announce that two new sauces that I created placed second and third place at the Santa Cruz County Fair. The second place entry is called Smoky Chipotle and the other is called Honey Hawaiian. Frankly, I was pleasantly surprised that both of my entries placed in the top three. I'm certain that had I been able to submit my Grillmate Gourmet Sauce, it would have taken first place. However, it is now a commercial product and was not eligible.
I am also working on another cookbook. The subject of this book will be discount meals, or how to prepare gourmet dinner meals for a family of four using less than $10 a day. Hopefully this new book will be of interest among readers.
This month, in keeping with the international theme, I decided to revisit Chinese cuisine with a dish that is sure to satisfy the most critical of appetites. Shrimp with Lobster Sauce is absolutely one of my favorite dishes to prepare as well as to eat. You may use lobster in this recipe, and in this case it is called Lobster Cantonese. You may also make this dish with crayfish meat, in which case I call it Crawdad Cantonese. That just sounds better than Mudbug Cantonese!
This recipe is an excellent way to serve shrimp, lobster or crayfish. One half pound of shrimp will make enough of this dish to serve 4 people with generous portions. I happened to prepare this dish for guests not long ago and it was so good that we ate it until we were stuffed. Even then, I managed to save a little for leftovers.
Now, on to the recipe! Be well, and good eating!
Shrimp with Lobster Sauce
Note: French cut simply means cutting at a diagonal angle. This allows for rapid cooking and releases maximum flavor.
- 1/2 lb. raw peeled shrimp or prawns, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 lb. ground pork, or finely chopped pork
- 1/4 lb. Chinese pea pods (fresh French cut green beans may be substituted)
- 1 tsp. ginger root, finely sliced and slivered
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 can chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. black bean sauce (or black bean with garlic sauce)
- 2 Tbsp. corn starch
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 6 Tbsp. sherry
- 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 3 green onions, French cut
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork in a bowl
- Steamed rice or Chinese noodles
- 1/2 lb bean sprouts
- Several sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Mix the chicken broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, black bean sauce, 2 Tbsp. of the sherry, and the corn starch. Stir and set aside. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and set this aside also.
Heat the sesame oil in a wok or skillet over medium high heat and add the ginger and garlic. Simmer for 30 seconds before adding the pork. Stir fry the pork until browned and then add the shrimp meat. Stir for about 1 minute and then add the sherry. Cover and let simmer for 1 minute. Remove the lid from the skillet and add the Chinese pea pods or green beans. Stir fry for an additional 1 minute.
Stir the chicken broth mixture so that the corn starch is well mixed and add this to the wok or skillet. Stir fry until the broth thickens. If desired, add a little more corn starch dissolved in cold water to produce a thicker sauce. Add the green onions and stir fry for about 30 seconds more. Finally, pour the beaten eggs over the top and cover immediately. Reduce heat to low and allow the eggs to cook for about 2 more minutes. Remove the lid and top with fresh cilantro.
Make a bed of rice in a serving dish and top the rice liberally with bean sprouts. Pour the Shrimp with Lobster Sauce on top of the rice bed, garnish with a little more cilantro, and serve immediately. Your family will not be disappointed with this dish! Enjoy!
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 12 minutes