Chinese Deep-Fried Shrimp Balls Recipe

Serves/Makes: 24 balls

Ingredients:

• 1 pound raw shrimps in their tails
• 1 slice fresh white bread
• 2 tablespoons cold chicken stock, fresh or canned, or cold water
• 2 ounces fresh pork fat
• 4 peeled and washed fresh water chestnuts, or 4 drained, canned water chestnuts, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger root
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 egg white
• 3 cups peanut oil or flavorless vegetable oil

How to cook Chinese Deep-Fried Shrimp Balls:

• Trim crust from the bread and tear bread into small pieces. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle with the stock or water.
• Shell the shrimp. With a small, sharp knife, make a shallow incision down their backs and lift out the black or white intestinal vein with the point of the knife. 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.
• In a bowl, combine the soaked bread, shrimp mixture, water chestnuts, salt, ginger and egg yolk, and mix thoroughly. Beat the egg white to a froth with a fork or whisk, and stir it into the shrimp mixture.
• 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.
• Preheat the oven to 250°F. Pour 3 cups of oil into a 12-inch wok or large deep-fryer and heat it until a haze forms above it or reaches 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer.
• 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.
• Repeat until you have made 6 balls, dipping the spoon into the bowl of cold water each time to prevent sticking.
• Turn them with a bamboo strainer or slotted spoon to keep the balls apart as they fry. They should become golden in 2 to 3 minutes.
• 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 immediately.

Note:
The Chinese name for the Deep-Fried Shrimp Balls dish is Cha Hsia Ch’iu.

This recipe for Chinese Deep-Fried Shrimp Balls serves/makes: 24 balls

Main Ingredient: Shrimp
Preparation Method: Deep Fried
Cuisine: Chinese