Last Updated on May 11, 2024 by Simon Fan
This beautiful dish, essentially scrambled egg whites with shrimp, is a signature dish from Shandong province in China. It is so named because the fluffy egg whites resemble the white flowers of furong (芙蓉, Hibiscus mutabilis). Furong is native to China and now grows in many parts of the world. In the US, it’s often called cotton rose or Confederate rose.
(Fun fact, several cultivars of furong have flowers that change colors—from white to pink, and then from pink to red—during the same day or within a few days.)
To transform the beaten egg whites into “blossoms” in this dish, the traditional method, typically used in restaurants, calls for oil-blanching them in a wok. For home cooks, I’ll show you an easier way that can achieve equally nice results. Mixing a small amount of milk into the egg whites is a nice trick you can try too. Make sure to use a cooking oil with a light color and flavor.
The soft egg whites are paired with juicy, bouncy shrimp, prepared with the “velveting” technique used in many Chinese recipes.
If you like this dish, I’m sure you’ll also enjoy Cantonese-style scrambled eggs with shrimp (滑蛋虾仁), in which whole eggs are used.
Furong shrimp (芙蓉虾仁)
Serves 2
Ingredients
4 large eggs
6 oz (170 g) peeled medium shrimp
Velveting marinade
¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon egg white (reserved from the eggs above)
1½ teaspoons potato starch or cornstarch
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon milk (optional)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
⅛ teaspoon white rice vinegar
Directions
- Crack each egg and carefully separate the white and yolk into 2 bowls. Reserve 1 tablespoon egg white for the shrimp. Cover the egg whites in the bowl and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use. Save the yolks, refrigerated, for another use within 2 days.
- To “velvet” the shrimp, mix them with the salt in a bowl, then add the egg white and starch. Mix and stir until the shrimp are well coated. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes (preferably 2 hours) in the refrigerator.
- Remove both the shrimp and egg whites from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking to bring them to room temperature. Stir the wine and oil into the shrimp.
- Add the salt, pepper, and milk to the egg whites and whisk until smooth and frothy.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until they’re just cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer the shrimp to a colander to drain.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat, swirling so that the oil evenly coats the bottom. When the oil is hot but not shimmering, reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the egg whites. Let them cook, undisturbed, for 30 seconds or so until they appear opaque on the bottom. Use a silicone spatula to gently push them from the edge of the pan toward the center until they form fluffy, soft curds, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and vinegar and toss quickly to combine. Turn off the heat, sprinkle additional salt if needed, and serve right away.
