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Deep - Fried Shrimp Balls
(Cha - Hsia - Ch'iu)
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| What You Need: |
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1 slice fresh white bread
2 tablespoons cold chicken stock, fresh or canned, or cold water
1 pound uncooked shrimp in their shells
2 ounces fresh pork fat (¼ cup)
4 peeled and washed fresh water chestnuts, finely chopped, or 4 drained canned water chestnuts, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger root
1 egg yolk
1 egg white
3 cups peanut oil or flavorless vegetable oil
Roasted salt and pepper
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| How To Cook: |
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PREPARE AHEAD:
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1. Trim crust from the bread and tear bread into small pieces. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle with the stock or water.
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2. Shell the shrimp. With a small, sharp knife, make a shallow incision down their backs and lift out the intestinal vein with the point of the knife.
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3. Wash the shrimp under cold water and pat them dry with paper towels. With a cleaver or sharp knife, chop the shrimp and pork fat together until they form a smooth paste.
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4. In a bowl, combine the soaked bread, shrimp mixture, water chestnuts, salt, ginger and egg yolk, and mix thoroughly. Beat the egg white to froth with a fork or whisk, and stir it into the shrimp mixture.
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5. Have the shrimp mixture, a bowl of cold water, a baking pan lined with a double thickness of paper towels, and the oil within easy reach.
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TO COOK:
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1. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Pour 3 cups of oil into a 12-inch wok or large deep-fat fryer and heat until a haze forms above it or it reaches 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer.
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2. Take a handful of the shrimp mixture and squeeze your fingers into a fist, forcing the mixture up between your thumb and forefinger. When it forms a ball about the size of a walnut, use a spoon to scoop off the ball and drop it in the hot oil.
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3. Repeat until you have made 6 to 8 balls, dipping the spoon into the bowl of cold water each time to prevent sticking.
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4. Turn them with a Chinese strainer or slotted spoon to keep the balls apart as they fry. They should become golden in 2 to 3 minutes.
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5. Transfer the fried balls to the paper-lined baking pan to drain and keep warm in the oven while you fry the rest. Transfer the finished shrimp balls to a heated platter and serve with roasted salt and pepper dip.
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