China · Chinese
Shaoxing lees-glazed shrimp
Shrimp steamed in a lees-flavoured stock, then returned to the pan for a glossy sauce — sweet-savoury with the depth of fermented rice lees and pale, plump shrimp. A transmitted Kongfu menu lists “吊糟杏仁豆腐” in this hung-lees family; this entry applies the same lees technique to shrimp. A home adaptation, not a historical original.
Public reference · Home adaptation Diaocao — “hung lees” — is a shared Jiangnan and Shandong technique: fermented rice lees are hung in the broth or dish to season it. Lees are made by mould fermentation, and over time the alcohol and sugars convert, giving depth with a slight sweetness. Shaoxing treats chao-liu as a local classic; Lu Xun’s diary records buying smoked fish from Daoxiangcun; and the Kongfu table’s hung-lees dishes sit in the same lees tradition. Kong cooking folded a southern aromatic into a northern official cuisine — one example of its reach. This entry does not merge Shandong hung-lees dishes with Kongfu ones. **Important**: no Kongfu-specific recipe for “diaocao xiaren” was found. The dish on the transmitted Qufu menu is **吊糟杏仁豆腐** — same technique, different main ingredient. This entry is written from two public sources: the Kongfu menu establishes “hung lees” as a dish and technique, and Shandong cooking gives the lees-steaming process from 吊糟三鲜灌儿蹄 and the lees-sauce finish from 糟熘虾仁. Shrimp quantities, lees strength and steaming time are editorial for 4 and untested. Use genuine fermented rice lees or Shaoxing wine lees, not ordinary sweet fermented rice — the sugar and alcohol content differ sharply. Contains crustacean (shrimp), egg and gluten (lees and rice wine); the lees contain alcohol. Avoid entirely if allergic to crustaceans. 聚珍：真正的“孔府宴”吃些什么（节选自《孔府文化研究》） — The transmitted Kongfu menu lists 吊糟杏仁豆腐 among its courses, establishing hung-lees as a Kongfu dish and technique. This entry is the same technique applied to shrimp, and the difference is stated in the description and notes. https://applet.10100.com/article/106509520 百度百科：吊糟三鲜灌儿蹄 — The Shandong hung-lees process: lees seasoned with stock and wine, poured into the vessel and steamed until tender, then finished with a thickened lees sauce. This supports the seasoning and steaming steps here. https://baike.baidu.com/view/6080239.htm 百度百科：糟熘虾仁 — The Shaoxing chao-liu method — lees loosened with stock and strained into a sauce, shrimp pass-fried until done, sauce added and folded together quickly — plus the history of lees seasoning in Shaoxing and the chef’s notes. https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%B3%9F%E7%86%98%E8%9D%A6%E4%BB%81/1709412 FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperature — ≥145°F (about 63°C) centre temperature for shellfish and crustaceans. https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures AI-generated illustration; not kitchen-tested.
Ingredients
- fresh shrimp, preferably river shrimp300 g
- Shaoxing wine lees60 g
- unsalted stock300 ml
- rice wine20 ml
- egg white, for the marinade25 g
- cornstarch12 g
- scallion, cut into lengths15 g
- ginger, minced8 g
- rendered lard20 g
- fine salt2 g
Directions
- 1
Rinse the shrimp gently in cold water and drain. Add salt, egg white and half the starch and beat in one direction until sticky; rest about 20 minutes to set.
- 2
Loosen the lees with stock, blend, then strain out the coarse solids and keep only the clear lees liquor. Add wine, ginger and the remaining starch to make a sauce.
- 3
Line a deep plate with ginger and scallion, arrange the marinated shrimp neatly on top and pour in the lees sauce to about half the height of the shrimp.
- 4
Steam over high heat until boiling, then turn to medium and steam about 4 minutes; the shrimp are done when they turn from grey to milky white and curl, and should not be steamed longer or they toughen.
- 5
Heat the lard to about 150°C, sizzle the scallion and remove it, then pour in the remaining lees sauce and heat until it bubbles and thickens.
- 6
Tip the steamed shrimp with their liquid into the pan and fold gently so the glaze coats them, then turn off the heat and plate.
Source: WorldBite · public-reference adaptation · Source-attributed editorial adaptation; AI illustration; not an authenticated original recipe.