Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe | Diethood (2024)

FAQs

Do I need to boil broccoli before stir fry? ›

Do you have to boil broccoli before stir-frying? Whilst you don't have to, I prefer to. A quick boil in hot water, or a steam, will softened up the stem a little, making it tender before adding to the hot wok. This way the stem will be a little more tender, but the broccoli will retain some crunch.

So if you're wondering whether you need to velvet your shrimp before stir-frying, the answer is that it depends. You can choose to add oil, cornstarch and water to lightly coat your shrimp and keep them moist. Some cooks do it religiously.

It's best to start with as much boiling water as you can. Restaurants serve amazingly green and crunchy Chinese broccoli because they use huge amounts of boiling water.

Chicken Broth Version: Combine 1 cup chicken broth (or chicken stock), 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or potato starch) in a saucepan. Mix evenly and make sure there are no lumps. Bring to a boil and keep stirring during cooking.

Once the oil begins to smoke, add the broccoli florets and stems. Cook, stirring constantly, until browned around the edges, about 2 minutes.

Stir fry cooks fast and hot so make sure you are using your heaviest frying pan or wok and are stirring continuously. Don't overload your wok as the ingredients will become soggy. You can cook things in batches if necessary, for example, you can cook the protein first and set it aside to add back in later.

Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, cover, and steam until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

A: Cornstarch helps create a protective coating around the shrimp, sealing in moisture and ensuring a tender, velvety texture when cooked. The cornstarch mixture also helps the shrimp cook more evenly, preventing overcooking and rubberiness.

Should I Soak My Shrimp? This one comes down to the chef's preference. Some prefer to soak seafood in milk before cooking to keep it from tasting too fishy. If you choose to soak your shrimp, you should do so with whole milk for at least 10 minutes.

Alkaline baking soda slightly alters the pH of the shrimp, making them as plump and succulent as lobster and resistant to overcooking. The brine also causes the meat to pull away from the shells while cooking, so you get all the great flavor of shell-on shrimp without the hassle.

How do restaurants make broccoli taste so good? ›

How do restaurants make broccoli taste so good? As with everything made by chefs, they have unexpected (read: unhealthy) additions to their meals — mostly butter, oil and heaps of salt. An excellent tip for the perfect broccoli is the blanching step.

Even adults don't enjoy eating their vegetables sometimes. The high water content in some veggies renders them a bit bland on their own, so many people would prefer to make them palatable by adding various ingredients.

To blanch broccoli, start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, submerge chopped broccoli florets into the pot. It does not take long to blanch broccoli – only about 30-60 seconds, so keep an eye out for when the color changes from dull green to bright green.

What Is Shrimp Paste? Shrimp paste or shrimp sauce (xiā jiàng, 虾酱) is made from crushed or ground shrimp. Like fish sauce, it is salted and fermented.

This easy Shrimp co*cktail sauce recipe is made with just three ingredients (ketchup, lemon juice and horseradish). It's so simple, takes a few seconds to make, and compliments the shrimp perfectly.

What's In the Sauce for Chicken and Broccoli? Basic stir-fry sauce is made up of aromatics like ginger and garlic, dark and regular soy sauces, sesame oil, oyster sauce, sugar, Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing wine) and white pepper. Cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce enough to coat the chicken and vegetables.

Soy sauce (jiàng yóu, 酱油), the most common of Chinese sauces, sounds simple, and for the most part, it is. However, there are many types, each unique to different Asian cuisines (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.).