Drunken shrimp is a very popular shrimp dish that originated in China, where large peeled shrimps are eaten either cooked or alive after being immersed in liquor.
Shrimp is one of life’s great pleasures, so seafood fans will understand why this recipe is so popular around the world.
The recipe is altered slightly in different parts of China, but the main aspect of the dish remains the same: shrimp marinated in alcohol.
How do you make drunken shrimp?
In some parts of China, the dish is prepared by boiling the shrimp and then marinated in alcohol. Others make it by soaking the shrimp in alcohol first and then boiling them in water. Either way, by submerging the shrimp in liquor, they become easier to eat.
Some places also serve this dish with live shrimp. This version is prepared by submerging live shrimp in rice wine, which causes them to expel any waste. Then they are anesthetized, the shells removed and served alive.
How you prepare this dish doesn’t have a huge difference on the taste, but we will provide the recipe for both methods.
Here’s how to make drunken shrimp (using dead shrimp).
You will need:
- Large peeled shrimp (2 cups)
- Cornstarch (1 tbsp)
- Alcohol of choice (1 cup)
- Onion (1, diced)
- Green onions (3, chopped)
- Ginger (1 tsp, crushed)
- Garlic (6 cloves)
- Chopped tomatoes (½ cup)
- Seafood stock (¼ cup)
- Sugar (1 tbsp)
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- Toasted sesame oil (1 tbsp)
- Butter (2 tbsp)
- Red pepper flakes (1 tbsp)
- Water (1 tbsp)
Method:
Step 1: In a large pan, heat the butter on high and add in the ginger, garlic and onion and sauté for about 2 minutes
Step 2: Add in the shrimp, along with some salt and pepper to taste, and cook for about five minutes, or until pink
Step 3: Add the chopped tomatoes, seafood stock, alcohol and sugar and stir until it comes to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until the shrimp are bright pink (cooked)
Step 4: Remove the shrimp from the pan and place to one side. Add the sesame oil, red pepper flakes, cornstarch and water to the sauce and continue cooking until thickened
Step 5: Once you’re happy with your sauce, add the shrimp back in and stir for 30 seconds
Step 6: Dice the green onions ready to garnish. Transfer the drunken shrimp into a bowl for serving and sprinkle with green onions and enjoy!
Here’s how to make drunken shrimp (using fresh live shrimp).
You will need:
- Fresh shrimps (1 cup)
- Chinese rice wine (1 bottle)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Ginger (2 slices)
- Red pepper flakes (optional, to taste)
- Soy sauce (for dipping)
- Water (1 pot)
Step 1: Rinse the shrimp in some clean cold water, then let the excess water drip off them before placing them into a large bowl
Step 2: Pour in the rice wine, making sure the shrimp is fully submerged. You can add in some salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if you like
Step 3: Cover the bowl and allow the shrimp to marinate for 15 minutes
Step 4: Boil a pot of water (it doesn’t matter what size it just needs to be big enough to fit all the shrimp) and add the ginger and some more salt
Step 5: Once the water starts to boil, add in the shrimp and stir then leave for a minute to a minute and a half
Step 6: Then strain the shrimp and serve straight away. Pour some soy sauce into a small dish to use for dipping and enjoy!
Cooking and serving tips
If you’re using fresh shrimp that requires deveining and/or peeling, here’s a few tips on how to do it to get the best results.
How to peel a shrimp
When it comes to making dishes such as Drunken Shrimp where you are marinating the shrimp, you want the shrimp to absorb as much of the flavors as possible so, you need to peel the shrimp before cooking.
Fortunately, peeling shrimp is an easy, one-step process that doesn’t require any special equipment or knowledge.
Here’s how you do it:
- To peel raw or cooked shrimp, all you need to do is hold the legs with your thumb and index finger and, with your other hand, hold the tail. Simply pull from the legs slowly and the shell will peel off with ease. Most people leave the tail for aesthetic purposes
How to devein a shrimp
Once you’ve successfully peeled your shrimp, you’re going to want to remove the veins before eating/ cooking.
This can be a little tricky, but can be easily mastered once you get the hang of it.
Here’s how you do it:
- To devein a shrimp without making any incisions, you can use a skewer to remove the vein. Simply locate the black vein on the back of the shrimp and poke the skewer in, so it is under the vein. Then gently pull the skewer up towards you, bringing the vein with it. This is the most effective way to maintain as much of the juicy flavor as possible
- If you’re new to this, there is a slightly easier way: take a sharp, small knife and make a narrow slip across the back of the shrimp. Then you can easily pull the dark vein out and discard of it
How to clean shrimp
Next, you’re going to want to make your shrimp nice and clean before cooking or serving raw.
Here’s how you do it:
- Most people tend to wash shrimp by simply running them under clean water, but others feel this is not enough to clean them thoroughly so, in Japanese cooking, they tend to clean the shrimp using potato starch and rubbing them together. This transfers all the dirt from the shrimp to the potato starch. Then, simply run them under some clean water to remove any excess potato starch, and you’re good to go!
