Longjing Shrimp

Rinse the Shrimp

Add a pinch of salt to the shrimp and rub for 1 minute. Rinse thoroughly with clean water three times to fully wash off surface slime. Pat completely dry with kitchen paper towels (any residual water will break the velvet coating and make the shrimp dry and tough).

Velvet-Coat & Marinate the Shrimp

1. Place the shrimp in a bowl, add salt, white pepper and cooking wine, toss well to combine.
2. Add half an egg white, stir clockwise until the shrimp turn sticky.
3. Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch and mix evenly. Finally, drizzle 1 teaspoon cooking oil to lock in moisture.
4. Let it rest and marinate for 15 minutes. For restaurant-level tenderness, refrigerate for 1 hour.

Brew Longjing Tea

Steep Longjing tea leaves in warm water at 80–90°C. Discard the first infusion quickly to rinse the leaves. Steep the second infusion for 1 minute, strain out the tea liquid for later use. Keep the softened tea leaves for stir-frying garnish. ⚠️ Do not steep the tea long in boiling 100°C water, or the tea broth will turn bitter and ruin the delicate aroma of the dish.

Velvet-Fry the Shrimp

Heat a wok and pour in cooking oil. When the oil reaches 30–40% heat (around 130°C), add the marinated shrimp. Gently spread them apart and velvet-fry for 15 seconds. Remove the shrimp right after they turn pale white to drain excess oil (they only need to be 70% cooked, as they will return to the wok later).

Cook with Tea Aroma

Pour out excess oil from the wok, leaving only a thin layer of base oil. Turn to low heat, add the pre-fried shrimp and steeped Longjing tea leaves. Pour in 2–3 tablespoons of reserved tea broth and season with a tiny pinch of salt.

Quick Final Stir & Serve

Turn to high heat, toss the wok rapidly and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Drizzle a little thin cornstarch slurry to make an extremely light glaze. Turn off the heat and plate immediately once the sauce thickens slightly.