Texture is the essence of this dish. The quickly cooked shrimp should be crisp yet tender, and the longer they are marinated in the refrigerator—up to 3 days—the better their texture becomes. The delicate colour of the shrimp needs no garnish.

Ingredients:

1 pound 2 ounces (500 grams) fresh or frozen raw peeled shrimp or prawns, cut into 3⁄4-inch (2-centimetre) pieces
peanut or corn oil for deep-frying
1 tablespoon Shaohsing wine or medium-dry sherry
For the marinade:
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 egg white
For the sauce:
1 teaspoon corn starch
4 tablespoons clear stock
1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste

Directions:

If frozen shrimp are used, defrost thoroughly. Wash the shrimp under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels but leave damp. Put into a bowl.

Prepare the marinade: Sprinkle the salt over the shrimp and mix well. Stir in the corn starch, then add the egg white and stir again to coat the shrimp evenly and thoroughly. Cover and let marinate for at least 5 hours.

For the sauce: Mix the corn starch, stock and sugar together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Half fill a wok or deep fryer with oil. Heat until just hot, 300°F (100°C). Carefully add all the shrimp and fry for 30 to 45 seconds, separating them with a pair of long chopsticks or a long-handled wooden spoon.

Remove the shrimp before they are quite cooked with a perforated spoon or strainer and drain on paper towels. Pour most of the oil into a container, leaving only about 2 tablespoons in the wok. Reheat until smoke rises. Quickly add the shrimp to the wok and stir a few times with a wok scoop or metal spatula. Splash in the wine or sherry around the side of the wok. When the sizzling dies down, pour in the well-stirred sauce.

Continue to toss for a few seconds more. Add salt to taste, if necessary. Transfer the mixture to a warm serving plate. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.