This is, in my opinion, one of the most decadent seafood dishes I like to prepare whenever we host a fancy dinner party. We recently did, so I selected jumbo shrimp, dried black mushrooms, broccolini, beech mushrooms, King oyster mushrooms and green onions. I learned the tricks of the trade from Aunt Danielle. As I’ve mentioned before, Aunt Danielle is an amazing cook; she used to run a successful Vietnamese restaurant in the early 90s. She taught me a lot of staple Vietnamese dishes to cook when I first got married.
The secret is to use the corals from the inside of the shrimp heads to make the flavorful sauce. In addition to this, I made the fragrant sauce called “sat?,” with garlic, galangal, soy sauce and plenty of fresh chiles. It’s quite labor-intensive but well worth it. If your guests like seafood, they should be prepared for a feast!
1. Info for Jumbo Shrimp Stir Fry Recipe
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: 8
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Jumbo Shrimp Stir Fry Recipe
- 1 pound broccolini
- 8 dried “nam dong co” (black mushrooms)
- 8 ounces beech mushrooms, separated
- 2 King oyster mushrooms, peeled and diced
- 16 jumbo shrimp, thawed (if frozen)
- 2 tablespoons cooking wine
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 (1-inch) chunk fresh galangal (or ginger), thinly sliced on the bias
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 2 Thai chile peppers, stemmed and sliced on the bias
- 2 tablespoons green onions, finely sliced
- juice of 1 lime
- 1½ teaspoons black pepper, freshly cracked
3. Directions:
3.1 Prepping the shrimp
Carefully shell and de-vein (remove the black part) of the shrimp using a sharp hook-like paring knife, all the way from the head to the tail so when it’s cooked, the shrimp will open up like a butterfly. Make sure to remove the tip of the tail (the shell that covers the tail) as well; this part is very delicate. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and pat dry using a paper towel. Repeat the same procedure for each shrimp. These steps are tedious but essential for good results. Gather the corals from the inside of the heads and set aside in a small bowl.
3.2 Marinating the shrimp
Place the shrimp in a large, sealable ziptop bag. Cover with red chili pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic and cooking wine. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Drain the shrimp and pat dry using paper towels. There should be as little liquid as possible.
3.3 Preparing the broccolini
Trim the ends of the broccolini. If the stem is too thick, slice it lengthwise (you want same-sized pieces for even cooking).
3.4 Prepping the dried black mushrooms
Cover the mushrooms with warm water. Let soak for about 1 hour. Squeeze out as much excess water as possible from the mushrooms. Cut them into quarters. Using a fine mesh strainer with a cheesecloth, filter the soaking “stock”, discarding the solids and impurities and reserving the soaking liquid.
3.5 Preparing the King oyster mushrooms
Cut the mushrooms into ½”- thick slices.
In a wok, heat the oil. Add the shallots and cook until golden. Set them aside. Add the 3 kinds of mushrooms. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer to a platter with the mushroom juice
3.6 Assembly
In the same wok, add more oil. Add the leeks and cook until softened. Dredge the shrimp with tapioca flour using a strainer and immediately place the shrimp in 2 batches, seasoning with salt. Jiggle the wok to make sure the shrimp don’t stick to the bottom. Once they open up like a butterfly, set them aside on a plate (they won’t be complete cooked and will finish cooking in the sauce later).
Combine 1 tablespoon tapioca starch with the reserved black mushroom liquid. Mix well.
Add more oil, the remaining garlic and galangal. Cook until fragrant and add the reserved coral mixture. Cook for 1 minute; add the soy sauce, sugar and tapioca liquid. Stir continuously until slightly thickened. Add the broccolini and return the shrimp to the wok. Stir fry until evenly distributed. Return the mushrooms. Constantly toss to ensure each piece is coated with the sauce. As soon as all the liquid evaporates, add the green onions and fresh chiles. Cover and cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often. The shrimp should be cooked (light orange color), the broccolini should be tender (with a bright green color) and the liquid should be evaporated as well. Do not over-cook the shrimp! Uncover and add the reserved shallots. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately in a chafing dish.
Bon appétit!
4. Tips and advices:
- You can find the ingredients listed above in most Asian grocery stores.
- The soy sauce brings saltiness to the shrimp dish and a nice amber brown color. My favorite soy sauce is the Da Bo De brand. It has a good flavor and is not too salty.
