Updated 6/13/13
I was first introduced to authentic Chinese cooking back in 1960. I even learned to use chopsticks proficiently. My early dishes were primarily prepared in the Canton fashion; the most widely available at the time. Well you are all wondering where I’m going with this – Well I don’t like South West or Mexican cooking. But I have learned to truly love the dished of the Szechwan province which is extremely HOT.
On a visit to New York City in about 1970 my wife and I went to China Town to a small Chinese restaurant called Szechwan Cuisine. Its menus were scrolled on the wall all in Chinese. All of the customers were Chinese, except us. Well when in Rome do as the Romans do – right -no WRONG. We order two dishes the first was simply called Prawns with Walnuts and the second was Szechwan Broccoli. Both dishes were so hot our mouths were on fire. We managed to finish and about died from it. We returned many times over the years to enjoy those dishes as well as other (Prepared for Chinese) while we lived in the New York area.
As time went on we craved for the taste of the Szechwan Cuisine, but we couldn’t find anything to compare. Over the year I taught myself to cook in the Chinese fashion. I’ve even wrote a Chinese Recipe book. Well thru trial and error I finally perfected both of those dished. The recipe for the Prawns with Walnuts follows. The Szechwan Broccoli I’ll list another time.
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 pound Prawns (or shrimp) 20 Large
1/4 cups Walnuts Whole
6 ounces water chestnuts
1 tsp. water chestnut powder dissolved in 2 tsp. water
MARINADE:
1 each egg white
2 tsp. water chestnut powder
1 Tbs. sherry
SPICES:4 each scallions (white and green)
2 slices ginger
2 cloves garlic
SAUCE:
2 Tbs. soy sauce (low sodium)
2 Tbs. sherry
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. Black vinegar
2 Tbs. Szechwan chili sauce
PREPARATION:
Shell, split, remove vein and wash the prawns(shrimp). Dry with paper towels and place in the marinade; mix well and refrigerate for 1 to 12 Hrs.
Blanch the walnuts for 2 min., then remove the husks. (This isn't any fun!)
Sauce: combine the soy, sherry, sugar, vinegar, and chili sauce in a small bowl and mix.
Mix the water chestnut powder with the water.
Spices: Clean and mince the ginger and garlic. Clean and chop the scallions.
COOKING:
Preheat 12 oz. Solid shortening(Crisco) in the Wok to 350 deg. Re-stir Shrimp/Marinade, strain and add shrimp to Wok all at once. Stir with chopsticks for 1 min. using the chopsticks to keep them from clumping. Turn off heat; remove with a strainer and let drain. Remove wok and clean.
Heat wok hot then add 2 Tbs. peanut oil and heat just 'till smoke. Add the scallions, ginger, and garlic. S/F for 30 sec. Add water chestnuts and walnuts; mix briefly.
Re-stir the Sauce, add it to the wok followed by the shrimp; S/F to combine. Re-stir the water chestnut powder/water mixture and add to the wok. Stir until the sauce has evenly glazed the shrimp and thickens.
Scoop out to a serving dish and serve immediately.
S/F = Stir fry
On a visit to New York City in about 1970 my wife and I went to China Town to a small Chinese restaurant called Szechwan Cuisine. Its menus were scrolled on the wall all in Chinese. All of the customers were Chinese, except us. Well when in Rome do as the Romans do – right -no WRONG. We order two dishes the first was simply called Prawns with Walnuts and the second was Szechwan Broccoli. Both dishes were so hot our mouths were on fire. We managed to finish and about died from it. We returned many times over the years to enjoy those dishes as well as other (Prepared for Chinese) while we lived in the New York area.
As time went on we craved for the taste of the Szechwan Cuisine, but we couldn’t find anything to compare. Over the year I taught myself to cook in the Chinese fashion. I’ve even wrote a Chinese Recipe book. Well thru trial and error I finally perfected both of those dished. The recipe for the Prawns with Walnuts follows. The Szechwan Broccoli I’ll list another time.
Prawns with Walnuts
3/4 pound Prawns (or shrimp) 20 Large
1/4 cups Walnuts Whole
6 ounces water chestnuts
1 tsp. water chestnut powder dissolved in 2 tsp. water
MARINADE:
1 each egg white
2 tsp. water chestnut powder
1 Tbs. sherry
SPICES:4 each scallions (white and green)
2 slices ginger
2 cloves garlic
SAUCE:
2 Tbs. soy sauce (low sodium)
2 Tbs. sherry
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. Black vinegar
2 Tbs. Szechwan chili sauce
PREPARATION:
Shell, split, remove vein and wash the prawns(shrimp). Dry with paper towels and place in the marinade; mix well and refrigerate for 1 to 12 Hrs.
Blanch the walnuts for 2 min., then remove the husks. (This isn't any fun!)
Sauce: combine the soy, sherry, sugar, vinegar, and chili sauce in a small bowl and mix.
Mix the water chestnut powder with the water.
Spices: Clean and mince the ginger and garlic. Clean and chop the scallions.
COOKING:
Preheat 12 oz. Solid shortening(Crisco) in the Wok to 350 deg. Re-stir Shrimp/Marinade, strain and add shrimp to Wok all at once. Stir with chopsticks for 1 min. using the chopsticks to keep them from clumping. Turn off heat; remove with a strainer and let drain. Remove wok and clean.
Heat wok hot then add 2 Tbs. peanut oil and heat just 'till smoke. Add the scallions, ginger, and garlic. S/F for 30 sec. Add water chestnuts and walnuts; mix briefly.
Re-stir the Sauce, add it to the wok followed by the shrimp; S/F to combine. Re-stir the water chestnut powder/water mixture and add to the wok. Stir until the sauce has evenly glazed the shrimp and thickens.
Scoop out to a serving dish and serve immediately.
S/F = Stir fry
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