Yang Chow Slippery Shrimp

By Leslie Blythe Chinese, Seafood, Shrimp Stir Frying

December 28, 2018

Recently we had lunch at Yang Chow, home of the world-famous Slippery Shrimp. Chinatown's Yang Chow opened in 1977 and expanded to several more locations in Los Angeles. The origin of slippery shrimp, a curiously named dish of wok-fried shellfish in a sticky sweet sauce, can be traced to the ritzy Chinese American restaurants that dotted L.A. in the 1960s. It sounds really terrible, but I can assure you that it is addictive. The magic lies in the sauce, which is a combination of crushed chili, ginger, and vinegar, garlic and sugar, and finished with, yes, ketchup. It’s not a very glamorous Chinese restaurant, but this dish is a winner!

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 pound large shrimp 

¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch 

¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons water 

2 cups oil 2 large cloves garlic, minced 

½ teaspoon ginger , minced

½ teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes

 1 tablespoon ketchup

 1 tablespoon white vinegar 

1 tablespoon white wine 

1½ tablespoons sugar

 ½ teaspoon salt

 4 green onions, sliced

Directions

1Peel, devein and butterfly the shrimp.

2 Mix the shrimp with ¼ cup cornstarch to completely coat the shrimp.

3 Combine the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water in a bowl and set aside.

4 Pour the oil into a wok and heat over medium heat until hot. Add the shrimp and deep fry until golden about 45 seconds.

5 Drain the oil from wok, leaving 1 tablespoon. Reheat the wok and stir-fry the garlic, ginger, and red pepper. Stir for a few seconds, then add the ketchup, vinegar, wine, sugar, salt ¼ cup water, and the reserved cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until the sauce is thick.

6 Add the shrimp, toss until covered with sauce. Add the green onions and serve.

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