The deliberate alteration of the texture of food, a prominent feature of Chinese cuisine, cannot be better demonstrated than by this recipe. Salt-whipped and rinsed repeatedly until they are thoroughly cleansed of their sticky substance, the shrimp become brittle, clean, and as clear as crystal in texture as well as color. Once treated and velveted, they are capable of endless variations—a unique crisp substitute for many of the shrimp dishes in this book, either whole, stir-fried with vegetables, or cut up and tossed with rich or spicy sauces.

Here the shrimp are unseasoned and served with a fluffy bed of crunchy mo-er mushrooms and dainty streaks of green scallions. Thus the pearly sheen of white meat and pink border is completely preserved. Though delicate, this is a very tasty dish, with no fuss. You might precede it with a flavorful soup, such as the Hot and Sour Soup, and accompany it with a vegetable such as the stir-fried Broccoli Flowerets in Black Bean Sauce.

Serves 2 to 4

1 lb medium shrimp
3 tsp salt

4 tbsp dried mo-er mushrooms, presoaked
1 large clove garlic, crushed and peeled
2 quarter-sized slices peeled ginger
4 whole scallions, diagonally cut into 1.5 in pieces
0.5 tsp salt

For velveting:
0.5 tsp salt
1 egg white, well beaten
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 cups oil

For sauce:
0.5 tsp salt
1 tbsp dry sherry
2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 0.5 cup stock
2 tsp sesame oil

Prep and velveting

Slice the shrimp three-quarters of the way through along the outside curve; remove the vein. Put them in a large, deep mixing bowl and sprinkle in 1 tsp salt. Holding a pair of chopsticks as a whisk or using a wooden spoon, stir the shrimp rapidly in a circular, whipping fashion for 1 minute so that all the shrimp skid, bounce, and turn against the side of the bowl. Put them in a colander and spray with cold water for 1 minute, tossing the with your hands. Drain and repeat the salt-whipping for 1 minute with the next teaspoon of salt; rinse again for 1 minute, and repeat the process a third time. Shake them in a colander and roll them dry in a kitchen towel. Put them in a mixing bowl; add the 0.5 tsp salt, egg white, and cornstarch, and mix well. Cover and let them set in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. You may do this in the morning and then complete the cooking in the evening.

Cover the mo-er mushrooms with hot water and soak for 15 minutes. Rinse and remove any hard “eyes”. Have the garlic, ginger, and scallions ready. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Heat a wok or large, heavy pot over high heat until hot; add the 4 cups oil and heat until it foams a cube of bread instantly, about 375 degrees. Scatter in the shrimp and stir quickly to separate them. Then baste and turn them rapidly for about 40 seconds until each is curled into a large petal or pearly white meat with a vivid pink border. Drain them immediately by either pouring both oil and shrimp into a strainer set over a pot or by spooning the shrimp rapidly into a strainer held over the pan. Put the shrimp on a plate.

Stir frying

Pour out the oil and reserve it for general cooking. Clean the pan. Reset it over high heat; return 3 tablespoons oil to it, swirl, heat for 30 seconds, and then toss in the garlic and ginger, pressing them in the hot oil. Shower in the mo-er mushrooms and scallions and stir in sweeping motions until the mushrooms are gleaming and the scallions aromatic; add 0.5 teaspoon salt and stir rapidly to season evenly. Give the sauce ingredients a big stir, pour into the pan, and stir vigorously until smooth and glazy. Add the shrimp and give them a few fast folds and pour into a serving dish, discarding the garlic and ginger and placing most of the shrimp on top.

Variation in parsley sauce:

Press a clove of crushed garlic in 3 tablespoons hot oil. Add 2 heaping tablespoons finely chopped parsley and 1 teaspoon minced ginger and stir-fry them for a few seconds with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 1 cup chicken or meat stock and bring it to a simmer. Lower the heat and slowly add 1 tablespoon cornstarch that has been dissolved in 2 tablespoons stock, stirring until the sauce is smoothly thickened. Add salt to taste. Turn heat to medium high, add the shrimp, give them a few fast tumbles, then pour into a serving dish, discarding the garlic. Not embellished by vegetables, this dish should be served with some on the side, along with fluffy rice.