Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlicky Eggplant

By á-10254

Ingredients

• Stir-Fried Shrimp with Garlicky Eggplant, Scallions, and CashewsServes 4. Published July 1, 2010. From Cook's Illustrated.
• Serve this stir-fry with steamed white rice.
• 6 medium garlic cloves , 1 minced or pressed through garlic press, 5 thinly sliced
• 1 pound extra-large (21-25) shrimp , peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shaoxing wine
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 6 large scallions , greens cut into 1-inch pieces and whites sliced thin
• 1/2 cup cashews , unsalted
• 1 medium eggplant (about 3/4 pound), cut into 3/4-inch dice

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions
1.1. Combine minced garlic with shrimp, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and salt in medium bowl. Let shrimp marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.

2.2. Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, sherry, sugar, sesame oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch in small bowl. Combine sliced garlic with scallion whites and cashews in small bowl.

3.3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Add scallion greens and continue to cook until scallion greens begin to brown and eggplant is fully tender, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer vegetables to medium bowl.

4.4. Add remaining tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until just smoking. Add garlic-scallion-cashew mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp are light pink on both sides, 1 to 1½ minutes. Whisk soy sauce mixture to recombine and add to skillet; return to high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet, toss to combine, and serve.

Step-by-Step
Making a Marinade That Works A 30-minute soak in a mixture of salt, oil, and aromatics is the secret to perfectly tender, deeply flavored shrimp. The salt works its magic in two ways. First, it enters the flesh of the shrimp, helping them to retain valuable juices during cooking. Second, it forces the flavors from aromatics such as garlic and ginger into the oil. The oil in the mix distributes those flavor compounds evenly over the flesh (not just in areas in direct contact with the garlic) for shrimp that taste better than ever.


Technique
For Tender Shrimp, Lower the Heat For perfectly plump, juicy shrimp, we cook the vegetables first—and then turn the heat way down when the shrimp are added to the pan.