Layers of soft eggs, tender shrimp, and delicate onion flavour, combined with a subtle hint of toasted sesame oil produce a hearty, satisfying, filling dish of Cantonese stir fry Shrimp & Eggs. You have got to give this a try.
These days I have been making a lot of dishes that I consider to be fast food my way. When I say fast food my way, I mean dishes that are made of a few ingredients, quick cooking, and not a lot of prep. This stir-fry shrimp and eggs checks all those boxes.
Weekends, like most of you, is when I have a bit of extra time to spend in the kitchen so I tend to make dishes that would take longer to prep and cook, and I’d often be making more than one thing. However, with these persistent high temperatures that sap your energy, I have been avoiding the kitchen as much as I can. Therefore, last weekend, this is what I cooked. The first day I had it with rice and the following day with fried green plantains, sliced pears, tomatoes and cucumbers. I thoroughly enjoyed my meals; while filling, they also felt light.
This stir-fry dish sits well on top of thick-cut slices of bread (toasted or untoasted), sandwiched between float-style fried bakes or with roti – sada or paratha. It works well on its own too with a side of garden salad.
The key to making this dish is not to overcook it. It uses a combination of heat levels – high heat at the start to cook the shrimp and low heat when the eggs are added. Together, these 2 opposing heat levels provide the perfect combination of tenderness that makes it different from simply a plate of fried eggs with shrimp. Two other things of note: firstly, the shrimp should be pat very dry before seasoning with salt and pepper. This is to ensure that the shrimp does not release water and start to stew when it is added to the heated pan. Secondly, the eggs should be at room temperature. There should be no trace of chill on the eggs. Having the eggs at room temperature means that when beaten they will be light and tender when cooked.
Make this stir-fry of shrimp and eggs for any meal. I am confident that you will not only enjoy it but it may easily become one of your go-go dishes.
I am sharing with you the measurements of ingredients I used. However, adjust them to suit your availability. Make as much or as little of it as you like. The important thing here is the cooking itself.
I used:
12 ounces shelled, deveined medium-sized shrimp, rinsed and pat very dry
Salt and ground white pepper to taste
6 eggs, room temperature
2 scallions that I sliced thinly, divide in half
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil to cook the dish
I opted to use a non-stick skillet/frying pan to make the dish. If you don’t have such a pan, just ensure that you are using a pan that is well seasoned so that the ingredients do not stick to it as they cook.
Here’s what to do:
Season the shrimp with salt and ground white pepper to taste and set aside.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add sesame oil, half of the sliced scallions and season with salt to taste. Whisk well and set aside.
Add oil to the plan and place over medium high heat until very hot with light wisps of smoke.
Tip the shrimp into the pan, spread in an even layer and cook for 45 seconds, tossing only once. Remove from the pan and reduce heat to low.
Add the eggs to the pan and immediately top with the shrimp in an even layer. As the edges of the eggs begin to set, using a spatula or large spoon, push the mixture to one side so that the raw part forms a layer and repeat this all around. Gently toss/fold the mixture until just before the eggs stop being fully runny. At no point during the cooking process should the eggs develop a colour or be scorched.
Remove from the heated pan, scatter with the remaining scallions and serve.
Enjoy!
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
www.tasteslikehome.org
