Food52
This dish highlights a standard procedure for preparing shrimp to enhance its bouncy texture and coax out its natural salinity and sweetness. First, the shrimp is washed thoroughly in salt and baking soda, to tighten its texture. Second, the shrimp is velveted in egg whites and starch to provide a coating that’s slippery and protective. Finally, the shrimp is poached at a relatively low temperature to gently cook the shrimp without overcooking and shocking its flesh. This procedure can be used for a variety of dishes, but one dish that best highlights the nuance of its taste and texture is Crystal Shrimp with Dragon Well Tea. Derived from Zhejiang cuisine, this dish is an emblem of the culinary ethos that defines the region: a devotion to freshness, balance, and subtlety of flavor. When done properly with small river shrimp, the cooked shrimp is almost translucent, hence the name. Paired with Dragon Well Tea, or longjing 龍井, from the verdant hills surrounding Hangzhou, the shrimp picks up the tea’s gently sweet, slightly grassy flavor profile. The result is a harmonious balance of umami, sweet, and slightly bitter notes.
