Recipe - Basic Deep-Fried Shrimp Balls

1 pound Shrimp
6 (up to)
10 Water chestnuts
1 Egg
One half Scallion stalk
2 sl Fresh ginger root
2 teaspoon Cornstarch
1 tablespoon Sherry
One half teaspoon Salt
Oil for deepfrying

1. Shell and devein shrimp. Then mince or grind with water chestnuts.

2. Beat egg lightly; mince scallion and ginger root; then add to shrimp
mixture along with cornstarch, sherry and salt. Blend to a smooth paste.

3. Shape mixture into walnutsize balls. (To prevent sticking, wet 2
teaspoons in a bowl of cold water; then spoon up a teaspoon of the mixture
and toss it between the 2 spoons to form a round, smooth ball.)

4. Meanwhile heat enough oil to float shrimp balls. Add them a few at a
time. (Don't crowd: allow room for stirring and for even browning.) Reduce
heat to medium and deepfry, turning shrimp balls occasionally, until
golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper toweling.

5. Repeat process until mixture is used up, reheating oil each time.

6. Serve shrimp balls hot, sprinkled with nutmeg and lemon juice and
garnished with Chinese parsley; or accompanied by a sweetandpungent
sauce. VARIATIONS:

1. For the shrimp, substitute fresh crabmeat.

2. For the water chestnuts, substitute either One half cup bamboo shoots or 1/4
cup celery, minced.

3. Omit the whole egg. Substitute 1 egg white in step 2; or else dip shrimp
balls in the egg white to coat after step 3.

4. Omit the cornstarch in step 2. After step 3, dredge shrimp balls lightly
in flour; then dip in whole egg, beaten.

5. In step 2, add 2 bacon strips, minced; or 1 or 2 tablespoons unrendered
leaf lard, minced; or One fourth pound pork, with some fat, minced.

6. In step 2, add any or all of the following: One half garlic clove, minced; a
few sprigs of Chinese parsley, chopped; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1/2
teaspoon sugar; a few drops of sesame oil.

7. At the end of step 3, roll each shrimp ball in minced smoked ham (about
2 ounces for 1 pound of shrimp) to coat.

8. Omit step 3. Instead of shaping into balls, drop shrimp mixture directly
into the hot oil from a teaspoon. (Dip teaspoon in cold water each time to
prevent sticking.)

From The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, ISBN 0517658704. Downloaded
from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.