Favourite Thai Shrimp with Asparagus
Submitted by jpk131
Thai-style shrimp and asparagus stir-fry with garlic, straw mushrooms, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Wok-fast: shrimp turn bright orange and the sauce sets in under a minute.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minA wok stir-fry that’s done before your rice finishes steaming. Shrimp and bright-green asparagus hit a screaming-hot wok with garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and just enough chicken stock to glaze everything in a thin, savory sauce. Total cook time: about 90 seconds.
The salt-rinse on the shrimp is a Thai trick most home cooks skip. Tossing the shrimp with salt, letting them sit 5 minutes, then rinsing tightens the texture and pulls off any iodine taste. The result is shrimp that snap when you bite them instead of going mushy in the wok.
Blanching the asparagus before stir-frying is the second key. A few seconds in boiling water, then a cold-water shock, locks in the bright green color and partially cooks the spears, so wok-time is just enough to heat them through without overcooking. Skip the blanch and they go limp before the sauce comes together.
Fish sauce and oyster sauce are the umami backbone. They’re not interchangeable. Fish sauce is salty and pungent (use sparingly). Oyster sauce is sweet and thick. Both together is what gives the sauce that complex, savory-sweet Thai-Chinese flavor.
Chef Tips
- Get the wok hot before the oil goes in. Real stir-fry needs a smoking-hot pan to sear ingredients without steaming them.
- Have everything prepped and arranged near the stove before you start. Once cooking begins, you have under 2 minutes to finish.
- Don’t crowd the wok. If you’re scaling up, cook in batches. Crowded pans steam.
- Serve immediately over jasmine rice. The sauce thins out as it sits and the shrimp toughen if held.
Variations
- Swap shrimp for sliced chicken breast or scallops. Cook times stay similar.
- Add a sliced fresh red chili or a teaspoon of chili paste for heat.
- Use snow peas, broccolini, or sliced bok choy instead of asparagus when not in season.
Ingredients
Directions
Shell and devein the shrimp. In a bowl toss the shrimp with salt; let sit for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with cold water, drain and pat dry; set aside.
Cut the asparagus diagonally into 2-inch lengths. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the asparagus into the water and blanch for a few seconds or until it turns bright green. Remove and shower with cold water to stop the cooking.
If using canned mushrooms, drain and rinse them with cold water; set aside. Cut the green onions, including part of the green tops, into 1½-inch lengths.
Heat a wok over medium-high heat. When hot add the oil and garlic; toss until lightly brown.
Turn the heat to high and add the green onions and shrimp to the wok; stir-fry together until the shrimp turn bright orange and feel firm to the touch, about 30 seconds to a minute.
Add the asparagus, mushrooms, sugar, pepper, fish sauce, oyster sauce and chicken stock; stir-fry together until the mixture is heated through and sauce has a light cream consistency.
This should take no more than a few seconds.
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