Katie Chin's Everyday Chinese Cookbook 101 Delicious Recipes from My Mother's Kitchen

Jade Shrimp with Fragrant Vegetables

Pineapple Fried RiceJade Shrimp with Fragrant Vegetables

As mentioned previously, shrimp is often served at celebratory occasions in China. My mother would always serve a shrimp dish like Jade Shrimp with Fragrant Vegetables at birthday parties—and, as I recall, when my brother Billy finished his Ph.D. (My parents celebrated the Ph.D., but not the pierced ear he’d acquired while studying abroad!) Despite the ongoing culture clash in our home, we always found ourselves laughing at the dinner table. This easy and healthy dish is loaded with bright pink shrimp and toothsome snow peas and broccoli. The garlic infused in the sauce is what gives the vegetables their fabulous fragrance.

Serves 2 as a main dish with rice or 4 as part of a multi-course meal

Preparation time: 12 minutes + marinating time

Cooking time: 5 minutes

8 oz (250 g) shelled and deveined large-sized raw shrimp

2 teaspoons all-purpose cornstarch, divided

Dash of white pepper

¼ teaspoon dark sesame oil

8 oz (250 g) broccoli florets

2 oz (50 g) snow peas, tips and strings removed

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 tablespoons oil, divided

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons chicken stock, homemade (page 62) or store-bought

2 oz (50 g) canned baby corn

¹⁄8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), for garnish

1 Follow directions for “Eliminating Shrimp’s ‘Fishy’ Taste” on page 20. (This step is optional.)

2 In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, the pepper and the sesame oil. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3 Blanch the snow peas and broccoli florets in boiling water until tender, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to an ice water bath to cool, then drain and set aside.

4 In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon water, the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch and the oyster sauce. Set aside.

5 Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until they turn pink. Remove from the pan and set aside.

6 Wash and thoroughly dry the wok or skillet, then heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add the garlic and onion and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock and heat to boiling. Cover and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

7 Add the baby corn and salt and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the reserved shrimp, snow peas and broccoli and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute, until the shrimp are hot. Dish out and garnish with the coriander leaves. Serve immediately with steaming-hot rice.

Pineapple Fried Rice

When my mom and I made this on the Today show a few years ago, it didn’t occur to me to slice the underside of the pineapple before going on live television so it would be easier to cut on camera. Needless to say, it was a bit of a struggle to cut through that pineapple quickly, but Al Roker charmingly dubbed my huffing and puffing the “Everyday Chinese Cooking Workout”! I love this recipe because the presentation is so impressive—the rice is served right in the pineapple shell. The chunks of fresh pineapple are sweet, bright and refreshing, perfectly offsetting the saltiness of the soy sauce in this dish. Chicken, shrimp, mushrooms and egg round out this delicious and refreshing dish.

 Serves 4 to 6 as part of a multi-course meal

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

1 whole pineapple

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt, divided

Dash of white pepper

2 tablespoons oil, divided

3 cups (450 g) cooked and chilled white rice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 cup (150 g) cubed cooked shrimp

1 cup (150 g) cubed cooked chicken breast

6 white button mushrooms, sliced

½ cup (75 g) fresh or thawed frozen peas

2 green onions (scallions), finely chopped, plus more for garnish

Salt, to taste

White pepper, to taste

1 Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise. Following the rim, cut deeply around the inside of the pineapple, being careful not to pierce through the skin. Cut the flesh inside the pineapple into cubes by making long slices down the length of the pineapple and then make 1-inch- (2.5-cm-) wide crosscuts. Scoop out the flesh using a flat-edged spoon and reserve.

2 In a medium bowl, combine the eggs with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Whisk to blend.

3 Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs and stir-fry until they have set, but are still moist. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

4 Wash and thoroughly dry the wok or skillet, then heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the cooked rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Mix in the soy sauce, shrimp, chicken, mushrooms, peas and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cooked eggs, reserved pineapple flesh and green onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds more. Season to taste with the salt and white pepper.

5 Scoop the fried rice into the pineapple halves and garnish with additional green onion. Serve immediately.

COOK’S NOTE

For best results, the rice should be chilled overnight before cooking this dish.