Tiger Prawns with Asparagus Recipe

How to make it

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• Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain and refresh.
• Mix the Shao Hsing Rice Wine with the soy sauce, mix in the Tiger Prawns and leave to marinate for 15 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and quickly stir-fry the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and half the scallions.
• Add the Tiger Prawns and marinade, stir, add the asparagus and then stir-fry until the shrimp are cooked tender. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions some chopped parsley and a julienne of ginger and serve.
• Shao hsing wine, Usually, you shouldn't cook with any wine you wouldn't drink, and you should never ever buy cooking wine in the supermarket. And yet, here I am, telling you to do just that, to buy Chinese shao hsing (or shao xing) wine, for the reason that without it you will certainly not be able to recreate genuine Chinese dishes.
• According to The Encyclopedia of Asian Food, shao hsing wine, also called "yellow wine", is named for the town in the northern Chekiang province of China which produces it. Blended from glutinous rice, millet, a special yeast and local mineral spring waters, the best shao hsing (not whatever is in the bottle in my food cupboard) is fermented for at least 10 years, and is used both for drinking and for cooking. Shao hsing comes in three varieties: shang niang, which is robust; chu yeh ching, which owes its pale green color and delicate flavour to young bamboo leaves added during fermentation; and hsiang hsueh (fragrant snow), which is sweet and pale.
• What I buy from my Chinese supermarket is not the sort of shao hsing wine that is matured and mellow but at less than 2 quid a bottle what would you expect, nevertheless it is perfect for cooking and adding a touch of authentic flavour. You can substitute dry sherry in equal amounts for shao hsing wine, but it's not quite the same. Shao hsing keeps forever in the pantry, stored at room temperature.