The Shrimp and Broccoli Sauteed in Brown Sauce dish was a staple at my family’s Chinese restaurant. That’s not shocking, considering how well broccoli and shrimp complement one another.
Many diners asked for a change from the traditional white sauce with garlic that comes with shrimp and broccoli by saying, “Make it with brown sauce!”
After making it several times this past week, I can understand why. No one can say no to steamed white rice topped with a generous helping of savory dark brown sauce.
How Can Shrimp Be Prepared For A Stir-Fry?
As a first step, get some frozen shrimp. These are the best because they are flash-frozen immediately after being caught. Worse than eating shrimp that has been thawed and sitting on ice for days is eating shrimp that has been frozen and thawed multiple times.
In addition to buying them with their natural shells, you can get shrimp cleaned, shelled, and/or deveined. When I buy shrimp, I typically get them with the shells still on and the heads removed. The shrimp should have undergone as little processing as possible before being frozen.
After you’ve removed the shrimp’s shell and tail (carefully, so you don’t waste any of the tail meat), butterfly it and remove the shrimp’s vein and sand track.
Even if you’ve bought shrimp that has already been peeled, deveined, and butterflied, you can improve their shape and sauce retention by cutting the backs an extra millimeter or two.
In What Ways Do You Velvet and Marinate Shrimp For A Stir-Fry?
When it comes to marinating, all you need is a good rinse and a light dusting of cornstarch to get the most out of some fresh, high-quality shrimp. The velvety texture is provided by the thin coating, and the fresh shrimp flavor should be kept intact.
Many restaurants will soak their shrimp in a mixture of sugar and baking soda for a few hours before thoroughly rinsing under cold water.
The shrimp will have a crispier texture and a cleaner flavor if you use baking soda. Shrimp, like fish, should have a good flavor. Certain restaurants use a method that, shall we say, “revitalizes” the shrimp.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. / 340g of shrimp (peeled, deveined, and butterflied)
- 10 oz. of broccoli florets (285g)
- 1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken stock (warmed)
- 1/4 tsp. of granulated sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 1/2 tbsp. of soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. of dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. of oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp. of sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp. of white pepper
- 2 tbsp. of canola oil
- 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- 1 tbsp. of Shaoxing wine
- 1 1/2 tbsp. of cornstarch (mixed with 2 tablespoons water into a cornstarch slurry)
Instructions:
- The shrimp and broccoli should be cooked first. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Chicken stock, sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and a pinch of salt should be mixed and set aside while that’s happening.
- Put the broccoli in boiling water for 30 seconds. Bring up and flush. The shrimp should be blanched for 15 seconds after the water has returned to a boil. Take out and rinse. The shrimp will have a 60-70% degree of doneness.
- Bring the wok up to a very high temperature. Add the garlic and Shaoxing wine to the wok and coat the edges with two tablespoons of canola oil. The chicken stock should be added next. Put the sauce on high heat and return the shrimp and broccoli to the wok.
- When the sauce has thickened and is sticking to the shrimp and broccoli, remove it from the heat and slowly drizzle in the cornstarch slurry. You can adjust the amount of sauce to suit your taste, but there shouldn’t be any leftovers. Cook some white rice and serve it alongside.