In many Chinese households, rice, the staple food, used to be cooked in a large, round copper pot. When there was a layer of cooked rice stuck to the bottom of the pot, it would be carefully removed, roasted over a slow fire and then used again. These roasted rice pieces, called guoba, led to the invention of sizzling rice dishes in Eastern regional cuisine. This dish is also called “Thunder bolt out of the blue,” because of the sizzle caused by the boiling sauce when poured on the crispy guoba.

Ingredients:

8 ounces (225 grams) raw peeled shrimp
peanut or corn oil for deep-frying
12 to 14 ounces (350 to 400 grams) canned tomatoes, chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons thin soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaohsing wine or medium-dry sherry
2 cups clear stock
1 1⁄2 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 4 tablespoons clear stock or water
12 pieces guoba

For the guoba:
13 to 14 ounces (375 to 400 grams) cooked rice
1 to 2 tablespoons peanut or corn oil

For the marinade:
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1⁄2 egg white or 1 tablespoon

Directions:

Prepare the guoba: Loosen the rice and let dry for 4–5 hours. Lightly brush 2 baking pans with the oil. Form the rice into 14 to 16 thin cakes, squares or circles, about 2 1⁄2 inches (6 centimeters) across, and place in the baking pans.

Put them, one pan at a time, if necessary, on the top shelf of a preheated oven, at 425°F (220°C), and roast for about 20 minutes, or until the bottom side of the cakes is brown. If the surface still looks pale, loosen the cakes with a spatula, turn them over and roast for another 5 minutes. Take the pans out of the oven and let the guoba cool. Store in an airtight container. (They can also be eaten alone if sprinkled with a little salt.)

If frozen shrimp are used, defrost thoroughly. Wash twice in cold water to make them as white as possible. Drain well or pat semi-dry with paper towels. Put into a bowl. Prepare the marinade: Add the salt, cornstarch and egg white to the shrimp. Stir to coat evenly. Let marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.


Half fill a wok or deep fryer with oil. Heat until just hot, about 300°F (150°C). Add the shrimp and let them “go through the oil” for about 30 seconds, separating them with a pair of long chopsticks or a wooden spoon. The shrimp, having turned pinkish, will be almost cooked. Remove with a large hand strainer and set aside.

Heat 2 casseroles or ovenproof soufflé dishes in a preheated oven at about 275°F (130°C). One is for serving the sizzling rice at the table, the other is for the boiling sauce.

Put the chopped tomato, salt, sugar, soy sauce, wine or sherry and stock in a saucepan and slowly bring it almost to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir in the dissolved cornstarch. Leave over a low flame or on a hot plate.

Reheat the oil until it reaches 375°F (190°C), or until a cube of stale bread browns in 50 seconds. Carefully add the pieces of guoba and deep-fry for about 2 minutes, or until they are golden. Remove and transfer to the serving dish. Keep warm in the oven. Add the shrimp to the tomato sauce and bring to a fast boil.

Take the serving dish containing the guoba to the table. Take the other dish out of the oven and pour the boiling sauce into it. Pour the sauce over the guoba at the table - there will be a great deal of sizzling. Serve as soon as the sizzling subsides.