Kapok Shrimp Balls

Kapok Shrimp Balls

　　A classic dish from Shaanxi Province. Originally a court dish from the Western Han Dynasty, it later became popular in local eateries. The basic preparation involves cleaning the shrimp, slicing the body into two connected pieces, and marinating them in cooking wine, salt, scallion slices, and ginger slices to infuse flavor. They are then coated with an egg white and dry starch batter to form "shrimp peaches." These are deep-fried in hot lard at about 40% heat until cooked, then arranged on a large round plate. Chopped vegetable garnish is placed around the shrimp peaches. The remaining oil in the pan is used to stir-fry tomato sauce, sugar, and broth into a sauce, which is then poured over the shrimp peaches to finish the dish. Its characteristics are: vibrant color, resembling cotton bolls in shape, tender and fluffy texture, with a mildly sweet and sour taste. It is a nutritious high-protein dish believed to have kidney-strengthening and yang-invigorating effects. (Xi'an)