Shrimp Festival: 3 Ways to Elevate Your Favorite Seafood
Shrimp is one of the most versatile seafood that you can cook with. Across all cuisine, shrimp can be transformed from one dish to another. You can deep fry, stew, or even sous vide this wonderful ingredient: only your imagination is the limit! Today, the Philippine Primer is sharing three ways to cook your all-time favorite shrimp.
Clockwise: Raw Shrimp Spring Rolls, Sinigang na Hipon, and Turnip and Shrimp Cake/IMAGE from Philippine Primer
Filipino-style Shrimp in Tamarind Soup (Siningang na Hipon)
Ingredients: (good for 4 people)
12 pcs shrimp (approximately 260g)
1 pc onion
2 small tomatoes
100g radish
30g okra
80g water spinach
3 pcs string beans
1 liter water
20g Aji-Sinigang sa Sampalok
green chili peppers (optional)
How to cook:
1. Peel the shrimp, wash it well with water containing potato starch, and drain it.
2. Put all ingredients in a pan and let them simmer. Add green chili peppers for a fiery kick.
Note: Sinigang is one of the traditional dishes in the Philippines. The ingredients and seasonings used vary from one region to another, just like Japan’s Yosenabe. Originally, tamarind is boiled and the sour extract is squeezed out, but since it takes time and effort, which in turn makes the sinigang mix more popular. The acidity of tamarind is has a rich and deep taste.
Vietnamese-style Raw Shrimp Spring Rolls
Ingredients: (good for 4 people)
16 pcs shrimp (approximately 260g)
3 g Aji-Ginisa Shrimp
50g celery
1 pc cucumber
45g rice noodles
80g pork, thinly sliced
avocado (optional)
1 bunch coriander
8 pcs rice paper
1 tbsp sake
[Sauce:]
Calamansi juice
Sesame oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
red bell pepper
2 tsp miso
50 cc water
2 tbsp sugar
peanut
3 tbsp butter
4g Aji-Ginisa Shrimp
How to cook:
1. Peel the shrimp, wash it well with water containing potato starch, and season it with 1 tbsp sake and Aji-Ginisa Shrimp.
2. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a pan and saute the shrimp over medium heat.
3. Chop the pork into small pieces and bring them to a boil. Do not throw away the broth.
4. Chop the celery and cucumber into 3-5 cm pieces, and cook the rice noodles.
5. With the smooth side of the rice paper facing down, pour the broth over it to soften. It will be ready in 2-3 minutes.
6. Put the ingredients one by one on the rice paper before you wrap it. You can also add avocado slices if you like.
7. To make the sauce, saute the garlic in sesame oil, turn off the heat, then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix it well.
Note: The tricky part is how you fold the rice paper. If it is not folded properly, it will bulge. You may choose your favorite vegetables such as lettuce and watercress as filling. If you don’t have rice paper, you may use egg or lumpia wrapper.
Taiwanese-style Turnip and Shrimp Cake
Ingredients: (good for 4 people)
8 pcs shrimp (approximately 130g)
300g radish
2 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tbsp sesame oil
70cc hot water
4g Aji-Secret Sangkap
120g Joshinko
1 tablespoon kataguri powder
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp sake
How to cook:
1. Peel the shrimp, wash them well with water containing potato starch, chop them into small pieces, and then soak them in 1 tbsp sake.
2. Grate the radish with a grater or food processor. If the radish isn’t moist, add another 30cc of water.
3. Finely chop the dried shiitake mushrooms that have been rehydrated in water and saute them in sesame oil.
4. Mix all the ingredients well and cook the mixture in a rice cooker as if you were cooking white rice.
5. After cooling the mixture, cut it into small pieces, and fry both sides in sesame oil.
Note: Radish cake is a popular dim sum in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Most of the time, dried shrimp is used, one can also use fresh shrimp. Joshinko is available in Japanese groceries, while the rest of the ingredients are available at local supermarkets. If you cannot find Joshinko, use a mixture of wheat flour and potato starch instead.
