Sichuan Prawns Stir Fry
A delicious and authentic sichuan and regional recipe for Sichuan Prawns Stir Fry, prepared with traditional seasonings and techniques.
Ingredients
- • 1 lb prawns (, peeled and deveined)
- • 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
- • 1/2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine ((or dry sherry))
- • 2 tablespoons cornflour
- • 1 cup dried Chinese chilli peppers ((*Footnote 1))
- • 1/3 cup vegetable oil ((or enough to cover the prawns halfway ) (*Footnote 2))
- • 3 cloves garlic (, minced)
- • 1/2 ” ginger (, minced)
- • 1 spring onions (, whites minced, greens sliced for garnish)
- • 2 teaspoons Doubanjiang
- • 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
- • 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
Preparation Steps
Pat the prawns dry with paper towels and transfer them to a medium-sized bowl. Add the light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornflour. Toss to coat well. Marinate for 15 minutes.
Cut the chillies into 1/2” pieces and place in a colander that has holes big enough to have the chilli seeds fall through. Shimmy the colander above a big plate to separate some of the seeds from the chillies. Set aside the deseeded chillies for the cooking and discard the seeds.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the prawns. Let cook without moving for 1 to 2 minutes, until the bottom turns golden. Flip to cook the other side for another 1 to 2 minutes, until turning golden and the prawns are fully curled up. Transfer the prawns to a big plate and set aside.
Turn to low heat. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan by pouring the oil into a bowl, or use a few layers of paper towels held in a pair of tongs to wipe the pan.
Turn to medium-low heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and spring onions. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the doubanjiang. Stir and cook for a minute.
Add the dried chillies, sichuan peppercorns, and peanuts. Continue to cook and stir for another minute, or until the chillies turn dark brown but are not burned.
Add back the prawns. Toss thoroughly to coat well. Immediately transfer everything to a serving plate.
Serve hot over steamed rice as a main dish. (*Footnote 3)