Steamed Garlic Shrimp with Vermicelli

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you need for this recipe:

• Shrimp (see details below)
• Vermicelli (see details below)
• Garlic
• Light soy sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Shaoxing rice wine, optional
• White pepper
• Sugar
• Scallions, for garnishing

About shrimp

In both restaurants and households, shrimp is typically served with the skin on in this classic dish, enhancing its appearance and flavor. While some people may find peeling the shrimp a bit of a hassle, in Chinese food culture, this process is considered part of the enjoyment and adds to the overall dining experience.

That said, feel free to use headless, shelled shrimp if you prefer to serve only the flesh. Whether fresh or defrosted, make sure they are raw, as ready-to-eat shrimp won’t work for this recipe.

About vermicelli

Mung bean vermicelli (known as Fen Si/粉丝 or Dong Fen/冬粉 in Chinese) is often referred to as glass noodles. What sets it apart from rice vermicelli and sweet potato glass noodles is its composition—made from mung bean starch—and its very thin, delicate shape. It’s widely available in Chinese/Asian grocery stores. The photo above features the most popular brand, Lungkow/龍口.

Apart from today’s recipe, you can use this versatile ingredient in many other dishes, such as Glass Noodle Salad, Sichuan Stir-fried Vermicelli, Meatball Soup, or fillings for Spring Rolls and Chinese Chive Pockets.

Cooking procedure

Step 1: Soak the noodles

Mung bean vermicelli needs to be rehydrated. Simply soak it in cold water for about 12 minutes until the strands are loosened and pliable.

Use a pair of scissors to cut the drained noodles into manageable lengths, then lay them over a plate that you plan to use for steaming and serving.

🌟 NOTE: Pay attention not to soak it for too long as it’ll lose the pleasingly springy texture once cooked. If you don’t plan to cook it right away, drain well and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the shrimp

In this step, you’ll need to split open the shrimp so that the garlic sauce can be spread over. Here’s how to do it using a pair of scissors:

1. Trim the legs off the underside of the shrimp.
2. Cut off the top part of the shrimp’s head, leaving the base intact.
3. Carefully cut through the shell along the back of the shrimp, making a partial cut into the flesh without slicing it all the way through.
4. Gently spread the shrimp open and flatten the flesh.

Once all the shrimp are prepared, arrange them over the vermicelli with the open side facing up.

Step 3: Make the sauce

Heat a small amount of cooking oil until it just begins to smoke, then pour it over the minced garlic.

Once the sizzling subsides, add light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, sugar, white pepper, and a little water. Stir until well combined.

Using a spoon, drizzle the sauce over the open part of the shrimp, spreading any remaining sauce evenly over the noodles.

Step 4: Steam the dish

Bring water to a full boil in a large wok or steamer. Then, place the shrimp plate onto a steamer rack or inside a steamer basket. Cover with a lid immediately and let steam over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped scallions to finish.

🌟 NOTE: The key to tender shrimp is controlling the steaming time and avoiding overcooking. It took me 5 minutes to steam 15 tiger shrimp weighing about 1 lb (450g). Adjust the time depending on the size and quantity of your shrimp.