2.223
16 (Tue) August 2011
Sesame Shrimp Scrambled Eggs
3.0
by me
at home
-Oksu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-
solo
This dish works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, as a light main course or as a side dish with rice or even as an anju or late-nite snack, holds up well in the fridge for at least a few days and not too bad when eaten cold. It’s one of the simplest, quickest, easiest, tastiest recipes that I know. I got it, more-or-less, from one of my favorite video podcasts called “The Minimalist” with Mark Bittman, a (skilled) amateur chef + (witty) humorist + (insightful) food columnist for the New York Times.
The key is fresh shrimp, which are not only more flavorful themselves but also have more juices to release into the eggs to make them more flavorful as well. This is even more the case with ocean-caught shrimp. I’ve tried the recipe with frozen farmed shrimp from the bag of Costco-brand shrimp always on standby in my freezer, but then the eggs just taste like scrambled eggs albeit with extra seasonings but without any shrimp flavor.
RECIPE
1. Peel and devein shrimp (if fresh) or defrost (if frozen) and bring up to room temperature.
2. Beat the eggs and add the soy sauce + white pepper.
3. Mince the garlic and dice the scallion.
4. In a pan on low-medium heat, add the olive oil + butter and stir until the butter melts and stops bubbling. 1 min.
5. Add the garlic and sauté until soft, careful not to brown. 30 sec.
6. Add the shrimp + salt + black pepper, sauté until the shrimp begins to pink, then remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. 1 min.
Tip: If the pan is big enough, the shrimp can be pushed off to the side while cooking the eggs. While this may save the trouble of washing an extra dish, it runs the risk of overcooking the shrimp, which will continue to cook even if not directly over the heat. Overcooked shrimp = not good.
7. Increasing the heat to medium-high, add the egg mixture from (2) + scallions (setting aside a big pinch for garnish) and sauté until the eggs come together. 2 min.
Tip: The amount of oil/butter may require adjustment depending on how much was absorbed by the shrimp and how much liquid was released by the shrimp. When adding the eggs, about 1 tbsp of oil/butter should remain in the pan, enough to coat the entire surface of the pan. If it looks a bit dry, which will cause the eggs to stick, add more oil/butter in a 1:1 ratio.
8. Return the shrimp to the pan and fold them into the eggs until both are cooked through. 1 min.
Tip: The eggs may be left slightly undercooked and runny, the way proper scrambled eggs should be. Any leftovers that may be stored in the refrigerator or otherwise set aside for later should be fully cooked.
9. Turning off the heat, add the sesame oil and toss.
10. Garnish with the remaining scallions + sesame seeds.
11. Serve immediately.
(See also FOODS.)
(See also PLACES.)
