Steamed Shrimp with Snow Peas and Water Chestnuts
The Diet Menu: Health Conscious Fare
If you remember ordering Chinese takeout in the nineties, you remember the Diet Menu tucked into the back of the trifold paper menu. It was an American invention designed to appease the low-fat craze of the era, but the line cooks in the back applied brilliant, authentic culinary science to pull it off. They used a technique called huashui—water-velveting—locking in the moisture so the shrimp stayed miraculously plump instead of turning into rubber bullets. Plated with crisp snow peas and a profoundly savory, translucent white sauce served on the side, it's a masterclass in texture that tastes exactly like that Tuesday night delivery, only fresher because you just made it yourself.
Before you start
Prep the snow peas properly.
Snap off the tough stem end and pull the fibrous string down the side of the pod. If you skip this prep step, you will be chewing on irritating fibers all night.
Ingredients
- large raw shrimp1 lb
- egg white1/2 large
- cornstarch1 tbsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- Shaoxing wine1 tsp
- fresh snow peas8 oz
- canned whole water chestnuts8 oz
- water1 1/2 cup
- chicken bouillon powder1 1/2 tsp
- garlic2 med cloves
- fresh ginger1 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- granulated sugar1/2 tsp
- Shaoxing wine1 tbsp
- cornstarch2 1/2 tbsp
- cold water3 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Velvet the shrimp to lock in their moisture.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg white, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine until it forms a milky paste. Add the shrimp and massage the marinade into the meat until it feels slightly sticky, then let them sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.
- 02
Build the savory base for the clear white sauce.
In a small saucepan, combine the 1 1/2 cups of water, chicken bouillon powder, minced garlic, grated ginger, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and let it simmer for 2 minutes so the aromatics infuse the broth.
- 03
Thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry until perfectly translucent.
Thoroughly mix the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water. While constantly whisking the simmering broth, slowly drizzle in the slurry. The liquid will immediately turn milky and opaque; do not panic. Keep stirring over medium heat for 60 to 90 seconds until it boils, at which point the starches will burst and the sauce will magically transform into a thick, glossy, beautifully clear glaze. Remove from heat, stir in the sesame oil, cover, and keep warm.
- 04
Blanch the vegetables rapidly to preserve their snap.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop in the water chestnuts and snow peas, blanching them for exactly 60 seconds until the snow peas turn a vibrant emerald green. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to scoop out the vegetables, shaking off the excess water, and transfer them to a serving platter.
- 05
Water-velvet the shrimp in the boiling water.
Keep the pot of water at a rolling boil and carefully drop in your marinated shrimp one by one so they don't clump. Stir gently and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the shrimp curl into 'C' shapes and turn opaque. The starch coating will turn invisible, leaving the shrimp plump and glossy. Scoop them out, drain well, and pile them on top of the vegetables.
- 06
Serve the dish deconstructed with the sauce on the side.
To perfectly replicate the takeout experience, bring the unseasoned platter of pristine shrimp and vegetables to the table alongside a steaming bowl of white rice, serving the hot, savory white sauce in a separate bowl. Let everyone ladle the glossy sauce over their own plates to maintain maximum crunch.
Notes
Do not skip the chicken bouillon powder.
This is the absolute secret to that deep takeout umami. If you refuse to use it, you must substitute the 1 1/2 cups of water with a very high-quality, perfectly clear chicken stock, but the bouillon is what makes it taste like your local joint.
Use canned water chestnuts.
Do not attempt to source fresh water chestnuts for this. The canned variety—peeled, boiled, and preserved—provides the exact dense, unmistakable metallic crunch that defines the American Chinese takeout experience.
Dry sherry is a flawless substitute for Shaoxing wine.
If you cannot find Shaoxing cooking wine, a dry sherry from the wine aisle works perfectly. Avoid heavily salted 'cooking sherry' from the grocery store condiment aisle.