INGREDIENTS 

12 ounces peeled, deveined jumbo shrimp (about 15 shrimp)

For the vegetables:

6 ounces bok choy, about 2 cups, the stems sliced into 1”x2” pieces*

2 ounces sliced white button mushrooms, about 1/4 cup

2 ounces sliced bamboo shoots, about 1/4 cup

2 ounces sliced water chestnuts, about 1/4 cup

2 ounces snow peas, about 1/2 cup

For the sauce:

¾ cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

1½ tablespoons light soy sauce

¼ teaspoon dark soy sauce

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

⅛ teaspoon white pepper

For the shrimp batter:

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

⅛ teaspoon onion powder

⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

1 pinch white pepper

½ cup cold plain seltzer or club soda

For the rest:

2 to 3 cups canola oil or peanut oil, or enough to fill a deep fryer

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1½ tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water

INSTRUCTIONS 

Heat oven to 200°F (this will be to keep the fried shrimp warm). Heat oil in a deep fryer to 325°F.*

Prepare the Shrimp:

Make a ¼-inch deep cut down the entire back of each shrimp. Rinse, drain, and pat dry with a paper towel. 

Prepare all of your vegetables:

Make sure the bok choy, snow peas, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts are ready before you start cooking.

Prepare the sauce:

Combine the chicken stock, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, white pepper.

Prepare the batter and fry the shrimp:

Make the dry mix for the batter by combining the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and white pepper. 

Right before frying, mix dry ingredients with seltzer to form your batter.

Note: You will be frying the shrimp in 2-3 batches. 

Place the shrimp into the batter to fully coat. Lift each shrimp out of the batter, letting any excess drip off. Carefully place each shrimp into the hot oil. Fry for about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. 

Once all the shrimp are fried, rest for about 5 minutes.

Blanche the vegetables:

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and add the bok choy, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. After 20 seconds, stir in the snow peas. Strain and set aside.

Fry the Shrimp again:

Next, bring the frying oil back up to 350°F and re-fry the shrimp in 1-2 batches until crispy and golden brown, about 2 more minutes. Remove from oil and set aside, keeping warm in the oven.

For the rest:

Heat the wok to just smoking, and add 1 tablespoon of the frying oil. Stir in the chopped garlic. Immediately pour in your sauce mixture, and bring it to a boil. Stir the cornstarch slurry mixture and stir it into the sauce.

Toss in the blanched vegetables until they are coated with sauce and heated through. (This takes about 20 seconds, and the sauce should be bubbling.)

Turn off the heat, add the fried shrimp, and gently toss a few times. The shrimp doesn’t need to be completely coated in sauce (it will give you both crispy and saucy textures in the dish). Plate, serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes:

1) I often use Napa cabbage in place of bok choy. 

2)This recipe originates from The Woks of Life. Their directions use a pot or wok for deep frying the shrimp. I generally use a deep fryer so the directions here reflect that. If you do not have one, refer to the original recipe at The Woks of Life here: Chow Har Kew (Stir-fried Crispy Shrimp with Vegetables) - The Woks of Life