Jade Shrimp (Shrimp Cucumber) (翡翠虾仁 Fei Cui Xia Ren)

Jade Shrimp or Shrimp Cucumber is a quite common household dish in China. The Chinese name for this dish “Jade Shrimp” (翡翠虾仁) is derived from the dish’s green color. Indeed, the names of Chinese dishes often arise from the dish’s color, shape, or historical origin. Another example of this is Pearl Meatballs, which I posted about recently.

Although I would prefer to use whole shrimp for this dish, I didn’t have time to shop for them this time. It’s a bit of a juggle these days trying to entertain/teach my two boys at home while maintaining regular household functions. I can’t wait for the pandemic to be over!

Anyhow, I always stock frozen shrimp in the freezer and these frozen shrimp work perfectly well for this dish. Shrimp and cucumber both take little time to cook through. The shrimp tastes savory, smooth, firm, and succulent at the same time. There are other versions of this dish that use sweet peas or spinach water to achieve the green, jade color. I particularly like using cucumber. They are refreshing and crisp, complementing shrimp perfectly. I interlock the shrimp with cucumber to make it look extra fancy, but if you are pressed for time, you can skip this step.

Gluten Free

Preparation Time:  20 minutes

Total Time:  30 minutes

Servings: 2 – 4 people

Ingredients:

• ~0.8 lb (~350g) medium, uncooked shrimp¹ (peeled and de-veined)
• 2 small cucumbers²
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 cup low sodium stock³
• 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (or rice wine)
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Clean the shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon of table salt) and 1/4 teaspoon of ground white pepper to the shrimp, mixing thoroughly. Let the shrimp marinate on the counter while preparing the other ingredients.

2. Wash and dry the two cucumbers. Cut off the two ends and cut the body into round slices of about 1/4 inch (~0.6 cm) thickness. Use a huller or a small knife to make a small hole in the center of each cucumber slice.⁴ Ideally, you will have the same number of cumber slices as you have shrimp.

3. After the center is removed from each cucumber slice, thread shrimp through each slice and until the middle section of the shrimp sits perfectly in the cucumber to form a interlock (see pictures).

4. In a small bowl, mix the 1/4 cup of low-sodium stock with the 1 tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine (or rice wine).

5. Heat a wok or cast iron pot under medium-high heat, then add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When the oil is warm, add the shrimp with cucumber slices into the pot. Gently toss until the shrimp changes color to light pink, about 1 minute. (Don’t worry if shrimp falls out of the cucumber holes while tossing. It can either be left that way or fixed after the dish is done.) Then pour in the 1/4 cup of stock mixture from step 4. Gently toss and scoop the liquid onto the shrimp and cucumber slices. Turn off the heat after about 30 seconds. Transfer the completed jade shrimp to a large plate and enjoy.⁵

Bon Appétit

Notes:

1. Although fresh whole shrimp produces the best result, it’s totally fine to use previously frozen uncooked shrimp like I did here. If using fresh whole shrimp, make sure to remove the heads (save them for some seafood stock), as well as the shell and vein.

2. I used Persian cucumbers here. These small cucumbers have thin skin and few seeds. I don’t need to peel off the skin which adds more green to the dish. You can also use other types of cucumbers. Try to pick one that has thin skin as well.

3. I used chicken stock here, but you can use vegetable, seafood, or pork stock instead.

4. You don’t have to remove the center of the cucumber. I did it to make the dish look fancy.

5. If there is still quite some stock liquid left, you can either pour some onto the shrimp cucumber or use it to stir fry some tofu or mushrooms. Just keep in mind that the liquid could be a bit salty.

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