Japanese Shrimp Simmered in Sake (Ebi-Ni) Recipe

Serves/Makes: 3 – 4

Ingredients:

• 12-16 fresh large shrimp
• 1 cup Basic Dashi* Stock (see recipe below) or 1/2 teaspoon dashi* stock granules dissolved in 1 cup hot water
• 2/3 cup sake
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 teaspoons Japanese soy sauce
• 1 inch young ginger, bruised
• 16 snow peas and/or 2 cups sliced spinach and/or Chinese cabbage, to serve

How to cook Japanese Shrimp Simmered in Sake (Ebi-Ni):

• Trim the whiskers and legs of each shrimp. Using a small knife, make a small incision along the mid-section in the back of the shrimp and devin by gently pulling out the intestinal tract.
• Blanch the vegetables in lightly salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and portion into individual serving platters and set aside.
• Place the shrimp in a pan with the dashi stock, sake, sugar, soy sauce and ginger. Cook over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the shrimp turns pink.
• Remove the shrimp from the heat. Serve the warm broth on the side if desired.
• Serve immediately on the bed of greens.

Basic Dashi Stock (Bonita Flake) Recipe

Basic Dashi Stock (Bonita Flake) Ingredients:

• 4 inches square piece konbu**, wiped clean
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 ounces bonito*** flakes

How to cook Basic Dashi Stock (Bonita Flake):

• Cut konbu square into 4 narrow strips. Place in a saucepan with 4 cups water and cook over medium heat. Heat until just about to boil, then quickly remove pan from the heat, remove and discard konbu.
• Add the cold water and bonito flakes to the konbu broth. Bring to a boil then remove immediately from heat, and set aside to cool.
• When all the bonito flakes have sunk to the bottom, pour the liquid over a strain and discard the flakes.

Comments:
*Dashi is a class of soup and cooking stocks considered fundamental to Japanese cooking.
**Konbu, a kind of seaweed. It is associated with the word yorokobu, meaning “joy”.
***In Japanese cuisine outside Japan, bonito usually refers to the skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), which is known as katsuo in Japan. This fish is smoked and dried to make katsuobushi, an important ingredient in making dashi (Japanese fish stock), used extensively in Japanese cuisine.

This recipe for Japanese Shrimp Simmered in Sake (Ebi-Ni) serves/makes: 3 – 4

Main Ingredient: Shrimp 
Preparation Method: Poached/Simmered 
Cuisine: Japanese