Favorite Shrimp in Lobster Sauce

Shrimp in lobster sauce is one of those misleading takeout names, there’s no lobster in the dish. The name comes from the fact that the sauce is the same one traditionally served with lobster in Cantonese cooking: ground pork, fermented black beans, garlic, ginger, and a beaten egg pulled into ribbons at the very end.

The shrimp get a quick velveting in egg white and cornstarch, which is the Chinese restaurant trick that keeps them snappy and almost translucent on the plate. You can deep-fry them at 325°F (165°C) for that classic texture, or stir-fry in three tablespoons of oil if you want to save the oil and the cleanup.

The fermented black beans carry the dish, that funky, salty depth is what separates a good lobster sauce from a beige one. Use the dry, salt-packed Chinese kind, not the canned variety. Rinse them briefly before chopping to take the edge off.

The egg goes in last, off heat or at the lowest simmer. Drag chopsticks through it to pull thin strands instead of letting it set in a sheet. Spoon the whole thing over white rice.

Pro Tips

• Pat shrimp completely dry before marinating, wet shrimp won’t pick up the egg-white coating.
• Brown the pork hard before adding aromatics, you want fond at the bottom of the wok.
• Add the cornstarch slurry to a bubbling sauce, not a still one. Cold slurry into hot liquid will clump.
• Drag the chopsticks through the egg in long pulls. Stirring breaks the ribbons into curd.

Variations

• Use ground turkey or chicken in place of pork for a lighter sauce.
• Add a teaspoon of chili paste with the aromatics for heat.
• Stir in frozen peas at the end for color and a touch of sweetness.