Chinese-style steamed prawns with egg whites - steaming goodness, deep freeze challenge

What is a deep freeze challenge ? This is now taking place at Melecotte, partially to ease the traffic food, jammed in your freezer. I confess. I use frozen prawns quite often (but I'm quite sure those thawed prawns on that bed of ice you see at the seafood station have gone through freeze-thaw cycles umpteen times), so what's wrong with using frozen prawns? They may be even fresher since they could be made to freeze just once, that's it.

The other ingredient I'm using in this dish happens to be some leftover egg whites remaining after I used the yolks here.

Using frozen prawns (thawed appropriately), and egg whites, I'm going to whip up a long-forgotten dish - Chinese-style steamed prawns.

Hickory Dickory Doc, the shrimps ran up the clock. What time is it?

This dish can be often seen in a Dai Pai Dong- 大排档 -roadside stalls; or Tze Char- 煮 炒 in coffee shops, and/or in some air-conditioned Chinese (often seafood-based) eateries (in my opinion, just a more upscale Dai Pai Dong/Tze char, because of air-conditioning) which serve Dai Pai Dong/Tze Char dishes.


Chinese-style steamed prawns/shrimps (serves 2)
Ingredients A:
-600g raw prawns, tail-on, thawed from the freezer (of course you could use any prawns - freshwater-always THE best, farm-raised, head-on, shells-on etc)
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp sesame oil
-1/4 tsp pepper
-2tsps crushed ginger (or shredded fresh young ginger)

Other garnish & seasonings:
-2tsps crushed ginger
-some julienned red chili
-1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing cooking wine
-1 egg white (lightly whisked before using)

Method:
1. Mix ingredients A and marinate for 10mins
2. Lay the marinated prawns on a plate, add red chili and some more ginger on top of prawns before steaming
2. Steam over high heat for about 8-10mins (depending on the size of prawns)
3. Pour egg white over the prawns, drizzle the Chinese Shaoxing cooking wine over, and steam for another 1-2mins.
4.Serve warm with rice.
Have you forgotten this dish ? Or have you tasted/tried prawns prepared this way ?

This is another flavorful dish (the power of ginger and Chinese cooking wine) that comes out of steaming. The simple seasonings complement very well with the prawns and egg whites. I think the ingredients are easily available. You should try it.

More steaming goodness can be found in fish, vegetable and chicken here, here and here respectively. Not forgetting, there is also steamy goodness in her steamy kitchen.


Tag: prawns, shrimps, steamed prawns, steamed shrimps, seafood