Crispy Shrimp Or Calamari With Chinese Noodles And Spicy Garlic Sauce Food

CHINESE CHILI GARLIC SHRIMP

Steps:

• Combine the shrimp and Shaoxing wine in a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Mix until the salt is evenly dispersed. Set aside while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
• Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir until the brown sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
• Heat 4 tablespoons of oil (or just enough to cover the bottom of the pan) in a medium-sized skillet until hot. Meanwhile, add the cornstarch and all-purpose flour to the bowl with the shrimp. Toss until the shrimp are fully coated.
• Shake the extra flour off the shrimp and add them to the pan. You might need to cook them in two batches. Let the shrimp cook without touching them, until the bottom turns golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip to brown the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Once done, transfer the shrimp to a large plate without overlapping and keep cooking the rest.
• Once you're done cooking the shrimp, turn off the stove and use paper towels to wipe the pan to remove any residue.
• Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the ginger and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the sauce to the pan. Cook and stir until the sauce becomes thick and glossy, 20 to 30 seconds.
• Turn the heat off and return the shrimp into the pan, tossing to coat thoroughly.
• Serve hot as a main dish.

CRISP FIVE-SPICE CALAMARI WITH SPICY CITRUS NOODLES

Steps:

• For the noodles and dressing: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let stand for 4 minutes, and then drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, shake well, and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle the oil on top, toss well to coat, and set aside.
• Stir together the chili sauce, ginger, honey, sugar, grapefruit juice and lemon juice until well combined. Stir in the chiles and set aside.
• For the calamari: Stir together the five-spice powder, salt and white pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk together the potato starch and yolks in a medium bowl. If the batter is too thick to pour from a spoon, add water a few teaspoons at a time until thinned.
• Pour the oil into a wok and warm to 350 degrees F over high heat (a cube of bread will turn golden and float to the surface within 10 to 15 seconds when ready). Dip the calamari rings into the batter using a slotted spoon and stir until well coated. Shake off the excess batter and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry, stirring frequently with a strainer, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer the calamari to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle the spice mix over while hot.
• To serve, divide the noodles among 4 shallow bowls. Drizzle two-thirds of the dressing evenly over the noodles, top each with calamari, and then drizzle the remaining dressing on top. Mix together the Thai basil, cilantro and mint stems, divide into 4 bundles and garnish each bowl with 1 herb bundle and lime wedges, for squeezing at the table.