Cantonese-style scrambled eggs with shrimp (滑蛋虾仁)

Last Updated on May 5, 2024 by Simon Fan

Scrambled eggs is probably one of the easiest yet most satisfying dishes on earth.

Although there are no right or wrong ways of making scrambled eggs, one can always benefit from useful techniques and tricks to create a better dish.

When I want my scrambled eggs moist and fluffy, I go with a brilliant Cantonese method I’m sharing with you here. The secret ingredient? Potato starch or cornstarch, which helps prevent the eggs from overcooking and becoming rubbery.

The eggs are cooked over medium-high heat for less than a minute. They’re great on their own, or even better when mixed with shrimp, mushrooms, or beef.

If you use shrimp for the scrambled eggs, you want to keep your shrimp tender and moist as well. To achieve such results, use the Chinese “velveting” technique that I also described in my post for Dragon Well shrimp:

• First, coat the shrimp with egg white and potato starch (or cornstarch), and marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours. This step, called “velveting”, creates a protection for the shrimp during cooking and seals the flavor and moisture.
• Next, blanch the shrimp gently in medium-temperature oil or boiling water.

Cantonese-style scrambled eggs with shrimp (滑蛋虾仁)

Serves 2

Ingredients

3 large eggs

Velveting marinade
1 tablespoon egg white (reserved from the eggs above)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon potato starch or cornstarch

4 oz (115 g) shelled shrimp, deveined
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1½ teaspoons potato starch or cornstarch
1½ tablespoons water
⅛ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
About ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil, for blanching the shrimp
1 scallion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Crack the eggs into a bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the egg white for the marinade. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients for the marinade and add the shrimp. Mix and stir until the shrimp are well coated. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes (preferably 2 hours) in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking. Gently stir the oil into the shrimp.
3. Remove the eggs from the refrigerator. Mix the potato starch with the water in a small bowl until lump-free. Add the mixture together with the salt, pepper, and wine to the eggs, and beat until smooth.
4. To blanch the shrimp, heat the oil in a wok (making sure it’s very stable) or skillet over medium heat. When the oil reaches about 280°F/138°C (when tiny wisps of smoke start to rise), add the shrimp in a single layer and stir quickly to move them around until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate lined with paper towels. Strain the oil, reserve 2 tablespoons, and save the rest for another use. As an alternative to the oil-blanching method, you can blanch the shrimp in gently boiling water.
5. Heat the reserved 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the eggs and cook, undisturbed, until the edges of the eggs start to bubble up, about 10 seconds. Stir the eggs for a few seconds, then mix in the shrimp. Stir and mix until the eggs are cooked to your preferred doneness, 10 to 20 seconds. Garnish with the scallions and serve right away.