A Recipe From the Chef: Ming Tsai's Mom's Famous Vinegared Shrimp

Kyle Books

Ming Tsai's mom's famous vinegared shrimp

We may not all have mothers who make awesome vinegared shrimp, or grandfathers who grew their own chiles for sambal or made their own dumpling wrappers, as chef, cookbook author and television host Ming Tsai did. But hey, that's why people like Tsai write those cookbooks. Read our two-part interview with the chef, who was in town this week on his book tour (a terrific excuse to hang out on hotel patios and in Kogi lines) and turn the page for his recipe. Or rather, his mom's recipe. As for why it's "famous," we forgot to ask him. Famous for the chef, presumably. It's all semantics anyway.

Recipe for: Mom's Famous Vinegared Shrimp
From: Ming Tsai, Simply Ming One-Pot Meals
Serves: 4

4 Yukon gold potatoes, each about 3 inches in diameter
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Wanjashan naturally brewed rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Wanjashan naturally brewed soy sauce
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
12 large (U-15) shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 medium shallots, sliced thin
1 cup shelled edamame
1 medium tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Wrap the potatoes in foil, prick them several times with a fork, and bake until cooked through, about 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the vinegars, sugar and soy sauce and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

4. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the shrimp and sauté, stirring, until the shrimp turn pink, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

5. Add the remaining oil to the pan and when hot, add the garlic, ginger, and shallots. Sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture, deglaze the pan, and simmer until the mixture is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the edamame, tomato, and shrimp. Simmer until the shrimp are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter and season with salt and pepper.

6. Trim the ends from the potatoes and halve through the center. Divide the
potatoes among four individual plates, top with the shrimp and sauce, and serve.

©2010 Ming Tsai. Taken from Simply Ming One-Pot Meals, used with permission from Kyle Books