Braised Chinese Cabbage with Prawns

Braised Chinese Cabbage with Prawns

　　Braised Chinese Cabbage with Prawns is a specialty dish of Qingdao. Due to the abundance of seafood in the city, even ordinary families are skilled at making this dish. Its highlight lies in the delicious combination of the prawns' umami and the cabbage.

　　Use several prawns, trim off their legs, the hard spines on the heads, and any other parts that might get in the way of eating. Blanch them in hot water until the shells turn slightly red, then set aside. For the cabbage leaves, tear them by hand into appropriately sized pieces—slightly larger pieces are fine. The cooking method is simple: once the oil is hot, add the prawns and remember to press down on their heads with a spatula to let the prawn oil seep out—you’ll see the oil turn red. Then add the cabbage and stir-fry. Once some moisture has been released during cooking, just season with salt and sugar.