Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The History of Slippery Shrimp

Many customers wonder why Yang Chow's most well known dish is named "Slippery Shrimp."  The name came about in the cooking process -- the shrimp are shelled, butterflied, and then coated in corn starch.  When the shrimp are cooked the first time to seal in the flavor of the shrimp and create the crunchy coating, they are taken out of the wok and place on a plate before being cooked again with the sauce.  The very first time the shrimps were taken out of the wok and placed on a plate, the corn starch coating created a protective surface that made the shrimp slip off the plate.  The final product seems anything but "slippery."

The dish was first introduced at Lotus Garden, a prior restaurant owned by Yang Chow's founders.  Slippery Shrimp did not make its way onto any menus until landing at Yang Chow.  It was, for a time, a special off-the-menu item only served by special request.  Now it is a dish enjoyed by many.

1 comment:

UndergroundCritic said...

I know this is asking a lot but I moved from LA 12yrs ago for work and have been travelling the globe since then. I still reminisce about your dish Slippery Shrimp and was wondering if it was asking too much to ask for the recipe so I can try to make it at home for my friends. If not too much trouble, please email me the recipe to

beatsc@msn.com


Thank you