I named this recipe Double Friend Shrimp because of a typo. But when I noticed the extra “n” in my instructions for the double fried shrimp, I thought it was a great name for this dish. At the beginning of 2023, I’m feeling rich in friends and so lucky to have them. I’ve been cooking a lot of Cantonese and Chinese-American inspired dishes lately, in part because of this terrific cookbook that I luckily came across. The recipes in The Woks of Life (2022) are mostly Chinese-American, meaning these are the dishes you would expect to get in a really good Chinese restaurant. The recipes are well written, and easy to follow with enough information to guide you through the process. The pictures are pretty, too. And the authors of the cookbook seem so NICE. This recipe for Sweet and Sour Shrimp is actually not in the cookbook, but it is on the authors’ web site. I strongly recommend visiting this family’s web site! I’ve cooked several dishes from the book and the site now, and I have been thrilled with the result each time.

THIS SWEET AND SOUR SHRIMP DISH WAS FUN TO COOK, PRETTY & DELICIOUS!

IN RESEARCHING CANTONESE CUISINE, I CAME ACROSS THESE PICTURES OF CHINESE RESTAURANT MENUS… THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT A CHINESE MENU THAT STIMULATES MY TASTE BUDS AND MAKES ME WANT TO ORDER EVERTHING! I LOVE THESE MENUS!

Directions

Have all your ingredients in place. Clean, shell and de-vein the shrimp. You can then hold the shrimp a little while in the frig. When you make the batter, you can stir together the dry ingredients and at the last minute add the cold seltzer and the sesame oil. You can double fry the shrimp before you start the sauce, or you can start the sauce while you are frying shrimp and let it simmer a little while. You just don't want the vegetables to go totally limp - they need to be cooked and softened but they should still have a bite (not a crunch) to them.

Step 1

Prepare your shrimp and hold in the frig.

Step 2

Prepare your batter. If you are not cooking immediately, stir together the dry ingredients and add the seltzer and sesame oil at the last minute. When you start dipping your shrimp, the batter is pretty thick so let it drip off the shrimp a little, so you are not deep frying big globs of batter.

Step 3

Fry the shrimp: Pour peanut oil into a Dutch oven or deep pot. You need about three inches of oil. Bring it up to about 345 degrees. Dip the shrimp in the batter and drop into the hot oil. Let the shrimp cook about 2 minutes until the batter is just slightly colored. Do this in batches, allowing the oil to come back up to temp between each batch.

Step 4

As you fry the shrimp, move them to a wire rack over a baking sheet. When you have fried all the shrimp the first time, start your sauce.

Step 5

Bring a wok up to temperature. It should be almost smoking but not quite. Coat the bottom with a tablespoon or so of neutral oil and add the onions and bell peppers. Stir-fry for a few minutes.

Step 6

Add the catsup and stir.

Step 7

Add the pineapple chunks, the juice and the water. You don't have to add all the water. Add the sugar, vinegar and salt. Cook at a simmer for five to ten minutes.

Step 8

Add the cornstarch slurry and thicken the sauce.

Step 9

Meanwhile, fry the shrimp for the second time at about 365 degrees. This should take about two minutes. You want a light golden brown. Don't overcook the shrimp.

Step 10