Cashew Asparagus Prawns (腰果蘆筍蝦仁, Jiu1 Gwo2 Lou4 Seon2 Haa1 Jan4)

 

This recipe was updated on 24 Jun 2014. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added.

Asparagus is available now and pairing the asparagus with shrimp/prawns and cashew nuts makes a classic Chinese-American restaurant dish. I used a basic sauce to make the dish, but you can also make the dish using salted black beans and garlic, see the Cashew Asparagus Shrimp (腰果蘆筍蝦仁, Jiu¹ Gwo² Lou⁴ Seon² Haa¹ Jan⁴) recipe.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Peeled shrimp meat (蝦仁, haa1 jan4)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
1 lb.	500 g.	Asparagus (蘆筍, lou4 seon2), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) lengths
¼ cup	60 ml.	Cashews (腰果, jiu1 gwo2)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
		Oil for cooking

 

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy paste (豆醬, dau6 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
½ Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
1 Tbs.	30 ml.	Water

 

Equipment

14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

 

Preparation Instructions

1. If using frozen shrimp, thaw the shrimp overnight in the refrigerator. Prepare the shrimp meat by removing the shells and veins. Marinate the shrimp for at least one hour or overnight with the ginger crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the shrimp overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
2. Wash and cut the asparagus into 2-inch (5 cm.) lengths. You can make a better presentation by rolling the asparagus ¼ turn before cutting each piece.
3. Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
4. Put the cashews into a small bowl.
5. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the soy paste, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat a wok or pan over high heat and before adding oil. Add the cashews to brown them and then place them into a small bowl.
2. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the shrimp meat. Stir fry the shrimp until they just turn pink and then remove them to a bowl separate from the cashews.
3. Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the ginger and garlic. Stir fry until fragrant and then add the asparagus. Stir fry the asparagus and then add the contents of the bowl with the shrimp back into the wok and stir fry all the ingredients together.
4. Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, top with the cashews, and serve with steamed rice.