Equipment
Ingredients
Shrimp & Marinade
- 450 g shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 15 ml shaoxing wine
- 5 g cornstarch
- 1 g salt
Sauce
- 60 ml chicken stock
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 5 g sugar
- 5 g cornstarch
- 5 ml sesame oil
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 450 g asparagus, trimmed and cut into 5cm pieces
- 3 garlic, minced
- 10 g fresh ginger, minced
- 2 scallions, sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 264 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 856 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 181 mg
- Potassium
- 681 mg
- Calcium
- 156 mg
- Iron
- 3.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 65 mg
- Phosphorus
- 347 mg
- Zinc
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 50 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 16 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 78 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.22 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.20 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 69 mcg
- Water
- 237 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 0 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a bowl, toss the peeled shrimp with Shaoxing wine, the first measure of cornstarch (5g), and salt. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes while preparing other ingredients.
Whisk together chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, the second measure of cornstarch (5g), and sesame oil in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves and no lumps remain.
Heat half the vegetable oil (15ml) in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and sear for 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque (internal temp should reach 63°C/145°F). Remove shrimp from the pan and set aside.
Wipe out the wok if needed. Add the remaining oil (15ml) over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. If the asparagus is thick, add a splash of water (15ml) and cover for 1 minute to steam.
Add the minced garlic, ginger, and white parts of the scallions to the pan with the asparagus. Stir-fry constantly for 30-60 seconds until aromatic, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Return the shrimp to the pan. Whisk the sauce briefly to recombine the cornstarch, then pour it into the pan. Toss everything together for 1 minute until the sauce bubbles, thickens, and coats the ingredients effortlessly. Garnish with scallion greens and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Snap the asparagus ends off by hand; they naturally break where the woody part meets the tender stem.
- The 'velveting' technique (coating shrimp in cornstarch and wine) protects the delicate meat from the high heat, keeping it juicy.
- Have all ingredients prepped and near the stove before turning on the heat; stir-frying happens very fast.
- If you like a kick of heat, add a teaspoon of chili paste or red pepper flakes with the garlic and ginger.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Best eaten fresh as asparagus loses texture upon reheating.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat just until warm.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is too thick or gummy
Cause: Too much cornstarch or heat was too high causing rapid evaporation
Fix: Stir in 15-30ml of warm water or stock to thin it out to desired consistency
Prevention: Measure cornstarch accurately and have additional stock ready
Shrimp is rubbery
Cause: Overcooking
Fix: Cannot be fixed, slice thinly and mix with rice to mask texture
Prevention: Remove shrimp from pan immediately once they turn pink; do not cook fully in the first stage as they will cook more when returned to sauce
Cultural Context
Stir-frying is a quintessential Chinese cooking technique known as 'chao,' developed to cook food quickly with minimal fuel. This dish exemplifies the philosophy of 'fan' (grains) and 'cai' (dishes), where fresh seasonal vegetables and proteins are cooked rapidly to preserve color, texture, and nutritional value, perfect for the spring season.
