When you bring the Spicy and Numbing Crayfish to your mouth, the first sensation is the stimulating spiciness. You taste the delectable crayfish. The juicy and tender texture of the shrimp stands out amidst the surrounding spiciness, appearing vibrant. Every mouthful is full of the sweet flavor of the shrimp and the freshness of the seafood, which is intoxicating. The meat is firm but not dry, with a subtle elasticity that allows you to enjoy each bite’s satisfaction.
Ingredients for spicy shrimp
| Freshwater shrimp | 500g |
| Salt | 10g |
| Cooking wine | 8g |
| Soybean sprouts | 250g |
| Cucumber | one piece |
| Green onion | 7g |
| Ginger | 5g |
| Garlic | 43g |
| Hot pot seasoning | 20g |
| Bean paste | 7g |
| Sichuan Pepper | 5g |
| Red pepper | 10g |
| Dark soy sauce | 5g |
| Light soy sauce | 5g |
| Pepper powder | 4g |
| Sugar | 5g |
| Starch | 8g |
| Sesame | 5g |
| Coriander | 5g |
Steps:
1.First, prepare the ingredients. Trim the shrimp by removing the shrimp gun and legs, and devein by making a shallow cut along the back. Rinse with water and drain. Add salt and cooking wine, mix well, and marinate for 5 minutes.
2.Wash a handful of soybean sprouts and slice one cucumber into segments. You can also use lettuce or celery.
3.Dice a spring onion, mince ginger and garlic, and combine them together. Crush a few cloves of garlic and chop them into small pieces to use later when serving.
4.Cut the hotpot base material into small pieces (about 2 cm) and finely chop a spoonful of doubanjiang (spicy bean paste). Using hotpot base material is a convenient option for homemade cooking.
5.Now let’s deep-fry the shrimp. Heat oil in a pan and remove any excess moisture from the marinated shrimp. Once the oil starts to smoke slightly, add the shrimp. Fry for 30 seconds, then remove and drain. The shell will detach from the meat after frying.
6.With the ingredients prepared, let’s start cooking. Heat oil in a wok and add Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, spring onion, ginger, and garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in the doubanjiang and continue stir-frying. After the oil turns red, add water. Add light soy sauce for flavor, a few drops of dark soy sauce for color, cooking wine, a small amount of salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for 5 minutes on low heat. This will infuse the flavors into the soup. After smelling the aroma, remove the residue from the wok for a better dining experience.
7.Add soybean sprouts and cucumber segments to the soup. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes to enhance the flavor. Remove the soybean sprouts and cucumber, and arrange them evenly in a serving bowl.
8.Place the fried shrimp into the wok. Add a little more salt and thicken the sauce with a mixture of water and starch. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes until the sauce becomes slightly thickened. Pour the sauce and shrimp into the prepared serving bowl with the vegetables. Arrange the shrimp neatly and sprinkle with white sesame seeds and minced garlic.
9.Now for the final step, drain the soaked dried chili peppers to remove excess water. This helps prevent them from becoming overly sticky when frying and enhances the flavor.
10.Heat oil in a pan and add the dried chili peppers. Fry until fragrant, then pour the hot oil over the minced garlic. Finally, garnish with cilantro.
Tips
1.Choose fresh and plump crayfish: Select crayfish that are well-shaped with vibrant shells, preferably live ones, to ensure their freshness and texture.
2.Pre-marination: Prior to cooking, marinate the crayfish with salt and cooking wine to eliminate any fishy odors and enhance the flavor of the meat.
3.Seasoning combinations: Besides Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers, you can also incorporate additional seasonings like ground Sichuan pepper, ground cumin, spring onions, ginger, garlic, etc., based on your personal preference, to introduce more depth to the flavors.
Spicy and Numbing Crayfish is a dish that is hard to forget. Its spicy and fragrant flavors have won over numerous people. While enjoying this delicacy, we also feel the vastness and depth of Chinese culinary culture. We hope that in the days to come, we can continue to pass down and promote this culinary culture, creating even more intoxicating and delicious cuisine.