This Szechuan shrimp is the Chinese American restaurant-style version described by The Woks of Life. Small peeled shrimp cook in a sauce with chili bean paste, ketchup, hoisin and finely cut vegetables; it is not presented as the only regional Sichuan shrimp recipe.
Quick Answer
Add shrimp near the end and cook until its flesh is pearly and opaque, not merely for a fixed minute count. Re-stir the slurry and add gradually until the sauce coats the shrimp; finish with scallion.
Basic Facts
| Shrimp | 450 g peeled, deveined small shrimp, size 50/60; coat with 1 teaspoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch. |
|---|---|
| Aromatics and sauces | 2 tablespoons cooking oil; 1/2 teaspoon ginger; 2 teaspoons doubanjiang; 2 garlic cloves; 1/4 cup minced shallot; 1 tablespoon each ketchup, hoisin and Shaoxing wine. |
| Vegetables and liquid | 1 carrot, finely chopped; 1/2 diced red bell pepper; optional 1/4 cup water chestnuts, included here; 1 cup stock. |
| Seasoning and finish | 1 teaspoon each rice vinegar and sesame oil; 1/4 teaspoon each salt and sugar; 1/8 teaspoon white pepper; 1 scallion. Slurry: 2 tablespoons starch and 2 tablespoons water, added progressively as needed. |
Preparation and cooking
- Prepare the shrimp and its light oil-starch coating, keeping raw seafood separate from ready-to-eat food. Cut vegetables small enough to cook evenly in the sauce.
- Warm ginger in the cooking oil, then add doubanjiang, garlic and shallot. Add ketchup and hoisin, followed by wine, carrot, bell pepper, water chestnuts and stock.
- Simmer the sauce and vegetables, then add vinegar, sesame oil, salt, sugar and white pepper. Taste before increasing salt because the prepared sauces already contribute seasoning.
- Add shrimp near the end and cook until its flesh is pearly and opaque, not merely for a fixed minute count. Re-stir the slurry and add gradually until the sauce coats the shrimp; finish with scallion.
Texture and seasoning
The ketchup and hoisin belong to this explicitly identified restaurant-style source. Removing them while retaining its other quantities would create a different sauce.
Dried chilies piled over shrimp, large meat chunks and noodle bowls are not accurate pictures of this version. The sauce includes diced vegetables and small peeled shrimp.
Quick reference
Use the measured ingredient list and the cooking order above. Images illustrate ingredients and appearance; they do not document this site’s own kitchen test or prove exact quantities.
References
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ketchup an error here?
No. It is listed in the selected Chinese American restaurant-style recipe.
When should shrimp enter the sauce?
Near the end, after the sauce and finely cut vegetables have cooked.
Should the whole slurry be added automatically?
No. Re-stir and add progressively to the thickness needed.