You must have heard of many prawn recipes, but have you ever heard of prawns being prepared in tea? The name might sound intimidating, but the recipe is anything but that. It’s a Chinese dish where Longjing tea’s sweet and slightly bitter flavor complements the prawns. To surprise your guests with a recipe they have never tried, try serving prawns in Longjing tea at house parties. Serve this dish with jasmine rice for a complete meal.
Ingredients
For Frying Prawns
- 1 egg white
- 1.8 ounces of potato flour or cornflour
- Ground white pepper, to taste
- 8 large tiger prawns, shelled, deveined, and rinsed
- Groundnut oil, for frying
For the Longjing Tea ‘Stock’
- 1 tablespoon Longjing tea leaves (also known as ‘Dragon Well’ tea)
- 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
- 2 spring onions, sliced (whites only)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 2 teaspoons cold water
Preparation
- For prawns in Longjing tea, start with egg white in a bowl with potato flour or cornflour.
- Whisk together till it makes a smooth batter. Then, season with sea salt and ground white pepper and mix. Add the prawns and coat them well.
- Next, fill a wok or saucepan less than halfway with groundnut oil. Heat it to 356 degrees Fahrenheit, which you can check with a cooking thermometer.
- Using a strainer, lower the prawns into the oil. Fry them for less than 10 seconds. Then, scoop out and drain on a plate lined with paper towel.
- Now, pour water into the kettle and boil it. Put Longjing tea leaves in a bowl and pour 5 ounces of hot water over them. Let it steep for two minutes.
- Add oil to another wok or deep frying pan. Place it over high heat until the oil is slightly smoking.
- Add the prawns and 1.69 ounces of the tea. Follow up with spring onions and Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry).
- Add a few tea leaves. Then, season with salt and ground white pepper, stirring in the cornflour mixture to thicken the stock.
- Add more tea if needed. Then, remove from the heat and serve immediately with cooked jasmine rice and other dishes.
Due to its unique ingredients and preparations, this recipe for prawns in Longjing tea will be a crowd-pleaser. Just remember not to overcook the prawns while frying. Otherwise, they will turn out chewy.
So, get the ingredients and try your hand at the prawns in Longjing tea recipe for your next house party. Also, don’t forget to share everyone’s reaction in the comment section below.
