Chinese olives?!

Chinese olives are a completely different species from the Mediterranean olive. The problem is that in China and Southeast Asia and all the way down to India, the fruits of the Canarium album tree do look an awful lot like olives, hence the name.

The people of South China use them as a seasoning, with the flesh of the halved and pitted fruits squashed flat into what are called “olive corners,” or lǎnjiǎo 欖角. 

These are fantastic additions to simple steamed fish, but I like to cook the olives first in oil and sugar to tame their slight astringency. (More on that later.)

Salted olives and olive paste

Chaozhou, it seems, is the capital of olive love here in China. The whole olives are even cooked in sugar water until their flesh has candied, turning them into oddly flavored tea treats that can be quite delicious once you get used to them. 

Another unique way with them is to stew the olives with mustard greens, oil, and seasonings to form a black paste that is perfect for seafood dishes such as this one, since each tiny strand of the sauce packs a wallop of flavor. (See the photo on the right.)

Head-on, unshelled shrimp are the best candidates for this dish, but use whatever’s available. The recipe that follows assumes you have Chinese-style shrimp with everything attached; if your shrimp are already shelled, simply flash-fry them in the oil until pink and opaque, and then proceed to Step 3.

           

This recipe is courtesy of the Chinese cookbook Wàipójiā de Cháozhōu cài.[1] I usually change the recipes I encounter, but this one was so perfect that not a single thing needed alteration.

Cut off the pointy bits

Whole shrimp with preserved olive vegetable

Lǎncài jú xiā  欖菜焗蝦

Chaozhou
Serves 4 to 6

1½ pounds medium shrimp (about 4 inches long with the heads), fresh or frozen

2 cups rice bran oil or other frying oil

2 tablespoons fresh peanut or vegetable oil

6 tablespoons preserved olive vegetable

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1. Trim off the feelers, eyeballs, and pointy beaks on the shrimp, cut the backs open through the shell, and then devein the shrimp. Rinse them thoroughly, toss dry, and then pat them even drier with paper towels.

2. Heat a wok over medium-high heat and then add the 2 cups oil. Have 1 medium and 1 small work bowls ready along with a Chinese spider or slotted spoon and a pair of wooden chopsticks. When the oil is hot, add about 5 or 6 of the shrimp to the oil and quickly toss them until barely pick. Remove the shrimp to the small work bowl, heat the oil up again until it smokes, and add the shrimp again. Fry and remove the shrimp 3 times so that the shrimp meat cooks evenly and the shells don’t burn. After the third time, dump the cooked shrimp into the medium work bowl and proceed to the next batch; repeat until all are cooked.

Fried to crispy perfection

3. Pour out the frying oil and wipe out the wok with a paper towel. Heat the wok again over medium-high and add the 2 tablespoons fresh oil. Then, return the shrimp to the wok along with the sugar; toss the shrimp with the sugar to lightly caramelize them, and then toss in the preserved olive vegetable and fish sauce. Toss to combine, taste and adjust seasoning, and serve very hot.

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[1] 外婆家的潮州菜 , by Fāng Xiǎolán 方曉嵐 and Chén Jìlín 陳紀臨.

Jiangsu's perfectly crunchy shrimp... with no batter

This is one of my all-time favorite ways to eat shrimp. Many places in China have their own versions—Sichuan’s addition of lots of chunky fresh chilies and garlic is always a winner—but this version from Jiangsu really appeals to me because the sweetness of the shrimp shines through, the entire shells are as crisp and edible as potato chips, and the balance is perfect from every angle.

To be honest, I usually don’t care for what passes in most restaurants for salt-and-pepper shrimp. Even if the crustaceans are of good quality, which is never guaranteed even if they are swimming (see Tips), the shells are either not crunchy enough or the meat is overcooked or there’s too much salt or the oil is not fresh. 

Yes, I am definitely cranky when it comes to shrimp, but with good reason: when this dish is done well and done right, it is heavenly.

That sandy vein

With all of this breathless praise, you might expect these shrimp to also be difficult. They’re not. The only thing that is sort of a slog is deveining the shrimp, but once you get the hang of snipping though the backs and slipping out the sandy intestine, this also can proceed pretty quickly.

Make this a couple of times for your family just to get the hang of it, and then you will soon be looking forward to displaying your shrimp mojo the next time guests show up for dinner.

Crunchy salt-and-pepper shrimp

Jiāoyán sū xiā  椒鹽酥蝦

Jiangsu
Serves 4

8 ounces shrimp (31 – 40 count, or smaller if you like) with shells and tails on, preferably with heads (see Tips)

1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 to 3 cups frying oil, preferably rice bran oil (used is fine here if it smells good)

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 green onion, trimmed and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1. First prep the shrimp. If they have their heads on, use kitchen shears to snip off the pointy ends just behind the eyes, because these will explode in the hot oil, and also remove any long feelers. Shrimp with or without their heads should be allowed to keep their shells, tails, and feet. Working on the shrimp one-by-one, use the shears to snip down the back from just behind the head down to about ¼ inch from the tail; your shears should also cut slightly into the meat itself so that the sandy vein is exposed. (This will become easier as you get used to how shrimp are put together.) Use the tip of the shears to lift out the sandy vein and discard. Repeat with the rest of the shrimp until all are prepped.

Marinate shrimp

2. Place the shrimp in a colander and rinse them under cool running water to wash off any debris and sand. Have a medium work bowl ready as you use a paper towel to dry them off, pressing down slightly on them to squeeze out any extra water. Place the dried-off shrimp in the bowl. Toss them with the rice wine and then the cornstarch. Let them marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Have everything ready before you start frying the shrimp, as it proceeds very quickly.

3. Have a wok ready as well as wooden chopsticks, a Chinese spider or slotted spoon, a serving dish, and a bowl for the used oil. Pour the oil into the wok and place it on high heat. When a chopstick inserted into the hot oil is immediately covered with bubbles, add about half of the shrimp, dropping them individually by their tails gently into the oil so that you don’t get splashed. Lower the heat to medium and fry the shrimp quickly until they are a golden brown all over. Remove them with a slotted spoon and chopsticks to the serving dish. Repeat with the other half of the shrimp, adjusting the heat as necessary.

Salt 'n peppa

4. When all of the shrimp are fried and crispy, pour out all of the oil into the waiting bowl, leaving only a film of oil inside the wok. Heat the wok over high, add the salt, pepper, green onion, and garlic, and quickly toss these together for a few seconds to take the raw edge off of the aromatics. Add all of the shrimp, toss them quickly just to coat them with the seasoning, and then serve immediately. All of the shrimp can be eaten; the legs in particular are nice and brittle.

Tips

The absolutely most important ingredient here is, of course, the shrimp. Get the best you can find.

What to look for in shrimp: alive is best, but only if they are wild and from unpolluted waters.