Sweet and Sour Shrimp (糖醋虾)

Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp (, peeled and deveined)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil ((*Footnote 1))
• 1 small thumb ginger (, julienned)
• 1/2 yellow onion (, diced)
• 1 bell pepper (, diced (or red pepper) (I used a mix of both))

Steps

1. 1

   Add the shrimp, salt, and Shaoxing wine into a medium-sized bowl, mix well. Let marinate while preparing other ingredients.

2. 2

   Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and set aside.

3. 3

   When you’re ready to cook, add the cornstarch to the marinated shrimp, and toss it to coat it completely.

4. 4

   Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until hot. Shake the excess cornstarch off the shrimp and spread the pieces into the pan without overlapping. Cook without touching until the bottom is browned, 2 minutes or so. Flip to cook the other side until browned. Transfer to a big plate to let it cool.

5. 5

   If your pan doesn’t have enough oil, add 1 tablespoon of oil. If you used more oil to fry the shrimp, remove the excess oil using paper towels. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and add the ginger. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.

6. 6

   Add the onion. Cook and stir until the onion just starts to soften, 2 minutes or so.

7. 7

   Add the pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

8. 8

   Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely, and pour it into the pan. Cook until the sauce is fully thickened.

9. 9

   Add back the shrimp and turn off the heat. Toss to coat the shrimp with sauce. Then transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot as a main or with steamed rice.