China · Chinese
Scallion-oil flash-fried shrimp
The fourth cold starter of the three-head banquet and the only one with hot-pan fire in it. The shrimp are first blanched with ginger and wine to set the colour, then hot oil is filled with two thirds of the scallions — white parts included — fried until fragrant, the shrimp are fried golden on both sides, seasoned with salt and light soy, and the remaining scallion is scattered over at the end. The oil released from the shells, blended with the scallion, is where all the flavour lives. Public reference · home adaptation, not a historical original.
Public reference · Home adaptation In Huaiyang cooking 'bao' means very high heat for a very short time — the ingredient passes through the hot pan fast enough to drive off aroma without losing water, and shrimp especially reward this. Scallion-oil shrimp is cooked **in the shell**: heated, the shell releases its oil into the juices on the plate, which are then finished with hot scallion oil, amplifying the shrimp's own savouriness rather than masking it. At the table these are usually eaten shell-on and picked up by hand, which adds to the sense of occasion. The 2018 group-standard report lists the cold dishes by name only, so **this technique comes from a public home recipe with no correspondence to the banquet's own kitchen method**; it is not a historical original. **The seat list records only the dish name, not the method; this version's technique comes from the public home recipe Scallion-oil flash-fried shrimp on xiachufang and has no correspondence to the actual three-head-banquet kitchen method.** It is not a historical original or a house secret. **Quantities, blanching time and frying heat are editorial for 4 servings and have not been kitchen-tested.** The source simulates deep-frying by using more oil at gentle heat on a domestic hob, and this version keeps that treatment and states it; if deep-frying instead, take care with hot oil. Use fresh or quick-frozen whole raw shrimp / river shrimp and always devein. **Shellfish in the shell is a common allergen** and must be declared on the banquet sheet. Only the technique is taken; no therapeutic claims are adopted. **Contains shellfish (shrimp in the shell, a common allergen),** wheat (cooking wine) and soy (light soy sauce). As a shellfish dish this must be portioned with separate utensils and boards to avoid cross-contact with shellfish-free dishes. Shrimp is among the more highly allergenic foods and must be declared on the banquet sheet and on any dish label. Only the technique is taken; no therapeutic claims are adopted. 下厨房：葱油爆虾 — The method itself: blanch the shrimp in water with ginger and cooking wine and lift out after five minutes from the boil; heat oil and fry two thirds of the scallions, white parts included, until fragrant; add the shrimp and fry both sides golden, drawing on the scallion and shrimp-oil aroma; season with salt and light soy and toss; scatter the remaining scallion before serving. https://m.xiachufang.com/recipe/107558966/ 扬州晚报美食团：扬州发布“三头宴”团体标准（搜狐，2018-01-18） — Seat evidence: the eight cold starters are listed in order, placing the scallion shrimp fourth. The report gives dish names and groupings only, with no methods. https://www.sohu.com/a/217424559_740963 淮扬菜 — 维基百科 — Cuisine context: Huaiyang cooking belongs to the Jiangsu school, its banquet section lists the three-head banquet, and the entry emphasises the school's knife work, natural flavour and heat control. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B7%AE%E6%89%AC%E8%8F%9C AI-generated illustration; not kitchen-tested.
Ingredients
- raw shrimp in the shell, deveined500 g
- water for blanching1500 ml
- ginger, sliced20 g
- cooking wine20 ml
- scallions cut into segments, white parts included80 g
- rapeseed oil100 ml
- salt4 g
- light soy sauce12 ml
Directions
- 1
Trim the whiskers and legs, pull out the vein, rinse and drain. Bring a pan of water to the boil with ginger and wine, add the shrimp and blanch for 1–2 minutes until they curl into a C and the flesh has just turned opaque, then lift out and drain at once. The source blanches for 5 minutes, which is on the long side; this version shortens it to keep the flesh springy.
- 2
Split the scallions: about two thirds cut into longer segments for frying, the remaining third finely chopped for the end. **Do not trim away the white parts** — their sweetness is half the dish.
- 3
Heat the rapeseed oil over medium-low heat, add the scallion segments and fry slowly until their edges just caramelise and the aroma is clear but not scorched — scorched scallion turns bitter. The shrimp fragrance and the scallion aroma have now merged in the oil.
- 4
Add the drained shrimp and nudge them with the spatula. **Do not flip them straight away** — let one side set in the hot oil for about a minute before turning, and fry both sides until deep orange-gold and the shells wrinkle. Wrinkled shells give up their oil.
- 5
Pour the light soy around the edge, scatter in the salt and toss quickly so every shrimp takes on the colour. **Two or three turns only** — keep tossing and the flesh toughens and releases water, turning the dish into steamed shrimp. Turn off the heat once there is almost no free liquid in the pan.
- 6
Scatter over the reserved chopped scallion, toss twice and plate immediately. Serve shell-on with all the pan juices, mounded a little high so it looks generous, and eat it hot — once the shrimp oil congeals the aroma is gone.
Source: WorldBite · public-reference adaptation · Source-attributed editorial adaptation; AI illustration; not an authenticated original recipe.