Although having a luxury-sounding name, shrimp with lobster sauce is in fact a humble and simple dish. It takes less than 10 mins to make!.
Shrimp is my favorite seafood. What about you? I make shrimp.
Today’s recipe, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce (虾龙糊), is a reader-requested dish that I’ve researched and tested recently. It instantly became a new favorite in our Red House. [feast_advanced_jump_to].
Shrimp with lobster sauce is a classic Cantonese dish frequently found on Chinese takeout menus across America. With its delicious mix of tender shrimp and rich, savory sauce, it has become a beloved favorite for generations. But despite its name, the dish actually contains no lobster. So what gives?
This article will explore the origins, ingredients, and flavor profile of shrimp with lobster sauce to demystify this iconic cuisine
The History Behind the Misleading Name
Shrimp with lobster sauce has been served in Chinese restaurants since the early 20th century. During this time lobster was considered a luxury ingredient. Some restaurants attempted recipes for “Lobster Cantonese” or “Lobster with Black Bean Sauce” to appeal to American tastes.
However, the high cost of lobster meant that using it in a dish would escalate prices. Restaurateurs began experimenting with more affordable shrimp as a substitute. The tasty sauce recipe intended for lobster paired beautifully with shrimp.
To continue attracting customers, restaurants marketed the shrimp dish as “Shrimp with Lobster Sauce.” The name implies an elegant, indulgent dish, even though lobster is no longer used. This cunning marketing tactic worked, cementing the recipe’s popularity for generations to come.
The Traditional Ingredients
While there’s no lobster meat, the rich sauce recipe used in the original lobster dishes remains integral. Here are the ingredients in a traditional shrimp with lobster sauce recipe:
-
Shrimp – Small or medium shrimp are preferred to maximize the sauce coverage. The shrimp are cooked briefly to retain their plump texture.
-
Ground pork – Finely minced pork provides meaty flavor and bulk to the sauce. Ground chicken can sometimes be used as a substitute.
-
Eggs – Lightly scrambled eggs thicken and enrich the sauce.
-
Green onions – Scallions provide color, texture, and subtle onion flavor.
-
Garlic – Minced garlic brings a savory aroma.
-
Ginger – Grated ginger adds a kick of spiciness.
-
Chicken stock – The stock lends a rich, full-bodied flavor.
-
Soy sauce – Soy sauce contributes salty, savory notes.
-
Cornstarch – A cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce into a luxurious gravy.
The name may be fanciful, but shrimp with lobster sauce delivers satisfaction through perfectly cooked shrimp bathed in a velvety, flavor-packed sauce.
The Flavors and Texture to Expect
Great shrimp with lobster sauce balances the briny sweetness of plump shrimp with a mouthwatering sauce coating each bite. Here’s what to expect when you taste this cantonese classic:
Tender Shrimp
Premium shrimp make all the difference. Using fresh, properly cooked shrimp ensures a pleasing snappy texture. The shrimp absorb sauce flavor while contributing their natural sweetness.
Savory Sauce
While called a lobster sauce, the real star is the pork and egg-thickened gravy. Ground pork provides meaty, umami depth. Scrambled egg makes the sauce rich and velvety. Soy sauce brings saltiness.
Aromatic Accents
Garlic, ginger, scallions, and white pepper offer layers of flavor complexity without overpowering the main ingredients. They elevate an already tasty dish.
Thickened with Cornstarch
Cornstarch thickens the sauce into a luxurious coating that clings evenly to each piece of shrimp. The result is flavor in every bite rather than just a pool of sauce at the bottom.
Contrasting Textures
The pleasing contrast between the firm, chewy shrimp and thick gravy makes for dynamic eating. The bright green scallions also offer a fresh crunchy accent.
Why People Crave This Takeout Classic
There are several factors that make shrimp with lobster sauce an ideal takeout dish:
Accessible Ingredients – For home chefs, shrimp with lobster sauce requires no hard-to-find Asian ingredients. Most components are pantry staples or found at standard grocers.
Quick Prep & Cooking – With pre-peeled shrimp and readily minced aromatics like garlic and ginger, preparation is a breeze. Stove to table is often less than 15 minutes.
Luxurious Taste – The rich sauce satisfies a craving for food that feels indulgent and luxurious but is relatively healthy at its core.
Textural Variety – The bouncy shrimp, tender scrambled egg, meaty pork, and crisp scallions provide diverse textures in each bite.
Customizable – Cooks can adjust ingredients to preference, like swapping chicken for pork, or adding mushrooms or peas to the sauce.
With a complex flavor profile and addictive texture contrast, shrimp with lobster sauce has earned its reputation as a takeout darling.
How to Make Restaurant-Quality Shrimp with Lobster Sauce at Home
Here are some pro tips for achieving the perfect shrimp with lobster sauce at home:
-
Buy fresh, large shrimp – Focus on quality over quantity, as you want plump, robust shrimp that won’t overcook. Avoid pre-cooked shrimp.
-
Marinate the shrimp briefly – A quick marinade in egg white, cornstarch, and seasoning ensures juicy shrimp.
-
Use a cornstarch slurry – Mixing cornstarch with broth before adding to the sauce eliminates clumping.
-
Cook the sauce fully – Let it bubble and thicken properly to coat shrimp rather than pool at the bottom.
-
Stir the egg gently – Overbeating the egg will yield egg drop soup, not luxurious sauce.
-
Finish with scallions – Sprinkle them on top rather than cooking them fully to maintain color and crunch.
With practice, you can recreate this beloved Chinese restaurant experience for family and friends. The fragrant aromas will build anticipation until that first bite of succulent shrimp swimming in rich, silky goodness.
Shrimp with Lobster Sauce Recipes to Try at Home
Once you understand the components of shrimp with lobster sauce, it’s easy to make at home for a restaurant treat anytime. Here are some top-rated recipes:
Authentic Shrimp with Lobster Sauce
This recipe from The Woks of Life stays true to the classic Cantonese method. It calls for fresh ginger, garlic, scallions, and eggs to create the quintessential lobster sauce.
Shrimp with Lobster Sauce
The Kitchn’s recipe adds mushrooms for extra texture and swaps chicken stock for shrimp shell stock. It’s ready in under 30 minutes for a quick weeknight meal.
Shrimp with Lobster Sauce (Easier)
Steph and Chris simplify the traditional recipe. Frozen peas and carrots streamline prep for a family friendly iteration anyone can master.
Recreating shrimp with lobster sauce is an ideal weekend cooking project for foodies. The impressive results will leave your family or dinner guests thinking you ordered takeout!
The Essence of an Iconic Chinese Takeout Favorite
Part of the enduring appeal of shrimp with lobster sauce is its ability to satisfy a craving for indulgent, luxurious flavors using simple, everyday ingredients. Its reputation was built over generations of delighted American diners savoring tender shrimp bathed in savory-sweet lobster sauce.
While the name may be fanciful, the flavor combinatio is undeniably craveable. With a versatile recipe adaptable to any home kitchen, this Cantonese delight can become a go-to staple for both restaurants and families for generations more to come.
/4710340294_bcd3392097_o-56a143395f9b58b7d0bd975e.jpg)
What is shrimp with lobster sauce
If you know what Chinese takeout is, you must have had or heard of shrimp with lobster sauce. It’s been one of the most popular takeout dishes for decades and is said to have been made by Chinese chefs who came to America.
Sometimes carrots are added to peas and egg white strands when shrimp with lobster sauce is made. The dish is served in a glossy, thick sauce with a strong umami flavor.
Where is the lobster
Don’t be surprised about the fact that there isn’t any lobster in this dish. Think of Fish Fragrant Pork, which is shredded pork with garlic sauce and is a famous dish from Sichuan cuisine. It doesn’t have any fish in it.
People say that this dish tastes like how lobster is seasoned in Cantonese food, which is similar to stories about fish-scented dishes that don’t have any fish in them. Other tales say that the sauce tastes like lobsters which I don’t find very convincing.
But whatever the story is, there’s no doubt that this dish is delicious and comforting. And it’s definitely home-cook-friendly. Read on to find out how simple it is to make!.
Here are some key tips before I start to provide details of the recipe:
- Cook the shrimp briefly to retain its crunchiness.
- Keep the seasoning simple to create a clean taste.
- You can get the perfect consistency by adjusting the heat and amount of cornstarch.
To make shrimp with lobster sauce, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Shrimp
Shrimp (prawn) is the star ingredient of the dish. No matter what size it comes in, make sure to use raw ones instead of pre-cooked ones. Deveining shrimp is not a compulsory procedure. But you may do so if your shrimp is quite large and you want it to be aesthetically pleasing.
Ground pork
Ground pork is another protein used in this recipe. Please feel free to replace it with ground chicken/turkey.
Peas or other vegetables
Add frozen peas for extra color and nutrition. Carrots, sweetcorn, asparagus, and mushrooms can be used as substitutes. When necessary, cut them into small cubes to speed up the cooking process.
Egg white
Egg white is used in the sauce for extra flavor, texture and nutrition. Otherwise, you can use a whole egg with the yolk, like when you make egg drop soup.
Aromatics
Chinese food smells best when it has garlic, ginger, and scallions, which is what I always have in my kitchen. Mince the first two to fry with pork and use the other to garnish.
Broth with seasonings
To make the “lobster sauce”, you’ll need:
- Chicken broth that isn’t salted or has little salt in it (see my post on wonton soup for a recipe). If it’s not available, use water that has been flavored with chicken or mushroom seasoning powder (Jī Jīng/邡䲾 or Mó Gū Jīng/蝑菇䲾).
- Adding Shaoxing rice wine to seafood to make it smell better and take away its fishy taste is a Chinese cooking idea called Qù Xīng. If you want to make the dish gluten-free, you can use dry sherry instead.
- To make it taste savory and sweet, add salt and sugar (less salt if your broth is already salty).
- Ground white pepper, to add a hint of heat.
- Toasted sesame oil, to add more flavor (but not too much, because it can be too strong),
Cornstarch slurry
In Chinese cuisine, cornstarch (or tapioca, potato, sweet potato starch, etc. ) is commonly used to thicken a sauce or soup. Make it into a slurry with a little water. The quantity recommended in the recipe card below can be adjusted based on your preference for consistency.
Step 1: Prepare the shrimp
Under running water, rinse the shrimp to remove the slimy coating. Drain and lay them over kitchen paper to remove excess water.
Step 2: Fry the pork & aromatics
Warm some oil in a pan or wok over medium-high heat. Use oil with a neutral taste, like canola, sunflower, vegetable, or other types. ). Add minced garlic, ginger and ground pork. Stir fry until the aromatics become fragrant and the pork loses its pink color.
Step 3: Fry the shrimp
Add the shrimp. Toss to cook it quickly. After it curls up and turns pink, move on to the next step (do not cook it too long).
Step 4: Add the broth
Pour in the chicken broth, along with the peas. Season with Shaoxing rice wine, salt, sugar, white pepper and sesame oil. Cook until the mixture comes to a boiling point.
Step 5: Thicken the sauce
Turn the heat down so that the broth is at a very gentle simmer.
Stir the cornstarch slurry very well then slowly pour it into the broth. Swirl with a spatula/spoon as it thickens.
Step 6: Add the egg white
Add the egg white that has been lightly beaten with a little water once the broth is thick enough to cover the spatula or spoon. Stir gently to form the tiny egg ribbons. Turn off the heat and sprinkle chopped scallions to garnish.
How to Make Shrimp with Lobster Sauce
How do you make shrimp with lobster sauce?
This shrimp with lobster sauce is just like what you’d find at a Chinese restaurant that serves Cantonese cuisine. Despite the name, there’s no lobster in the sauce. Serve over white rice. Dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch in sherry in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
Can you put lobster in a sauce?
Despite the name, there’s no lobster in the sauce. Serve over white rice. Dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch in sherry in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and stir-fry until pink, 3 to 5 minutes.
How do you cook shrimp in Eggy lobster sauce?
Shrimp with Lobster Sauce – quick, easy recipe that produces the most delicious shrimp in eggy lobster sauce!! Lightly season the shrimp with salt and sugar to taste. In a wok, heat up the oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add in the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
Does shrimp with lobster sauce contain lobster?
Contradictory to its name, shrimp with lobster sauce does not contain any lobster. Originally, it was actually a lobster dish, but it was later adapted to be more affordable at takeout restaurants. So the lobsters were swapped for shrimps. What can I use instead of cornstarch?