Lychee Shrimp Balls

Cooking StepsHow to cook Lychee Shrimp Balls step by step

Cooking Process

1. 
   Step 1

   Remove the heads from the blue-tail shrimp.

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2. 
   Step 2

   Peel the shells off, leaving the tail segments intact.

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3. 
   Step 3

   Butterfly the shrimp and remove the vein. The yellow part is shrimp roe — it’s edible, so don’t discard it. Fresh shrimp meat should look slightly translucent.

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4. 
   Step 4

   Here are the cleaned tail-on shrimp, ready to use.

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5. 
   Step 5

   Add 1 tsp of Hua Diao cooking wine to the shrimp.

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6. 
   Step 6

   Add 1 tsp of cornstarch (or potato starch) and toss to coat evenly.

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7. 
   Step 7

   Heat a shallow pool of oil in a wok over medium-high heat until 80–90% hot (small bubbles appear on the surface). Add the shrimp tails and keep stirring with a spatula to ensure even cooking. Fry for about 2 minutes, then drain and remove.

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8. 
   Step 8

   The shrimp balls are now blanched and just cooked through.

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9. 
   Step 9

   Cut the tender celery into diagonal segments.

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10. 
    Step 10

    Peel the lychees.

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11. 
    Step 11

    Remove the pits from the lychees.

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12. 
    Step 12

    Prepare a cornstarch slurry: mix 1 tsp cornstarch (or potato starch), a pinch of salt, a pinch of MSG, and 1 tbsp of water. Stir until smooth.

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13. 
    Step 13

    In the wok with the reserved oil, sauté the garlic slices until fragrant.

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14. 
    Step 14

    Add the celery and stir-fry over high heat until just tender.

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15. 
    Step 15

    Add the shrimp balls and lychees to the wok. Stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute.

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16. 
    Step 16

    Pour in the cornstarch slurry (from step 12) and toss everything together until evenly coated.

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17. 
    Step 17

    Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy.

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18. 
    Step 18

    The sweet fragrance of lychee…

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19. 
    Step 19

    Tender and bouncy shrimp balls, crisp refreshing celery — absolute perfection.

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