Indulge in the culinary delight of Pf Chang's Shrimp with Candied Walnuts, a tantalizing dish that captures the essence of Asian flavors. This delectable entrée features succulent shrimp stir-fried to perfection, enveloped in a luscious, sweet and savory sauce, and complemented by the crunch and sweetness of candied walnuts. The explosion of flavors and textures in this dish will leave you craving for more. Along with the main recipe, this article also includes variations that offer a range of taste experiences. From the spicier Szechuan Shrimp to the aromatic and flavorful Honey Walnut Shrimp, each variation promises a unique culinary adventure. Whether you prefer a mild or bold flavor profile, this article has something to satisfy every palate.
Let's cook with our recipes!
PF CHANG'S SHRIMP WITH CANDIED WALNUTS
A very close copy-cat of the restaurant's version. I've seen 3 variations of recipes for this dish on the internet. 1 tasted like mayo (YUCK), 1 was WAY too sweet, the other did not provide enough sauce and had too much of the spices. This seems to be a close as you can possibly get.
Provided by Sarah the Chef
Categories Chinese
Time 1h
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- The the walnuts:.
- Prepare a piece of parchment paper or lightly grease a baking sheet. Set aside.
- Combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the walnuts, stirring constantly. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until thickened. Place the walnuts on the parchment paper or baking sheet. Separating them carefully. Allow them to cool fully.
- An alternative to this is to simply toss the walnuts in a skillet with some white sugar and heat over medium-high heat, tossing constantly until the sugar is melted and caramelized.
- For the sauce:.
- Whisk this together over a low heat until warm. You want a very pale yellow color, if the color is too pale, add a dash more tumeric. Remove from heat.
- The the shrimp:.
- Clean and dry shrimp well.
- Whisk egg whites lightly in a bowl, add the shrimp and coat well.
- Combine the flour and cornstarch with some salt and pepper. Dredge the shrimp.
- Fry shrimp in hot oil, 3-5 minutes until the breading is golden and the shrimp are pink. Fry only a couple shrimp at a time, transferring to a paper towel to drain. Continue until all the shrimp are cooked.
- Toss the shrimp and honey dew and/or cantaloupe melon balls in the warm sauce. Top with candied walnuts and a light sprinkling of coconut. Serve over rice!
HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP
Growing up I always saw honey walnut shrimp at Chinese wedding banquets but was never able to eat them due to my nut allergy. Luckily I outgrew the allergy in my early 20s and, consumed with curiosity for this iconic dish, it's one of the first recipes I wanted my mom to share with me. It's considered a special-occasion dish because of the technique and the size of the prawns used. And although the ingredients may seem simple, each component of the dish has a secret. For the walnuts, blanching them before frying is a classic technique Chinese restaurants use; it makes the nut's interior feel light and tender as a contrast to the crunchy candied exterior. For the sauce, the secret is the sweet-tart flavor of pineapple juice; without it the sauce could feel heavy from the mayonnaise and sweetened condensed milk. Last but not least, butterflying the shrimp makes them appear larger, giving the dish the impressive look it's known for at Chinese banquets, and coating them in cornstarch creates a light and crisp exterior. I've made this dish numerous times for my family. My mom is glad that she no longer needs to wait for a wedding to enjoy it!
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 45m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the walnuts and bring the water back to a full boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Strain the nuts into a colander and shake off excess water. Transfer the blanched pieces to a paper towel-lined plate in an even layer and let them sit until dry to touch, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk the mayonnaise, condensed milk, pineapple juice, honey, vinegar and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Butterfly the shrimp by laying one flat on a cutting board and using a paring knife to slit them down the back from top to tail, cutting deeply but not all the way through. Press down to open the split shrimp up a bit. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining shrimp. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and set aside.
- Rinse out the saucepan the walnuts blanched in and fill it halfway with water. Season the water generously with salt as you would pasta water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and blanch until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Strain into a colander and shake off excess water. Make a ring using the florets on a serving platter and tuck the stem pieces under the florets. Set aside.
- Fill a wok or Dutch oven with about 2 to 3 inches of canola oil. Place over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
- While the oil is heating up, place 1/3 cup water and the sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir until dissolved. Set aside.
- Once the oil reaches 350 degrees F, reduce heat to medium and add the blanched walnuts. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes (don't let them become dark or they will be bitter). Remove with a slotted spoon and place on another paper towel-lined plate and turn the heat off. Sprinkle the walnuts lightly with salt.
- Place a wire rack over a sheet pan. Add the fried walnut pieces to the sugar syrup in the saucepan and stir to coat. Transfer the walnuts with a slotted spoon to the rack and let them dry slightly and set, about 5 minutes.
- Return the oil to medium-high heat and bring back to 350 degrees F. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch and toss until each shrimp is fully coated. Shake off any excess cornstarch.
- Once the oil is hot, add the shrimp (work in two batches if necessary) and fry until they are orangish-pink and the cornstarch coating is almost translucent, about 3 minutes. (For smaller shrimp, see Cook's Note for cooking times.) When cooked through, the shrimp will float to the surface and the bubbling will begin to subside. Transfer the fried shrimp with a slotted spoon into the bowl with the mayonnaise mixture. Toss until fully coated.
- Place the shrimp in the center of the platter in the broccoli ring. Drizzle any additional sauce over the broccoli florets and shrimp. Scatter candied walnuts around the sides of the plate and on top of the shrimp and broccoli. Serve immediately.
PF CHANG'S SHRIMP WITH CANDIED WALNUTS RECIPE
Provided by laceyarcher
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- 1 The the walnuts:. 2 Prepare a piece of parchment paper or lightly grease a baking sheet. Set aside. 3 Combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the walnuts, stirring constantly. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until thickened. Place the walnuts on the parchment paper or baking sheet. Separating them carefully. Allow them to cool fully. 4 An alternative to this is to simply toss the walnuts in a skillet with some white sugar and heat over medium-high heat, tossing constantly until the sugar is melted and caramelized. 5 For the sauce:. 6 Whisk this together over a low heat until warm. You want a very pale yellow color, if the color is too pale, add a dash more tumeric. Remove from heat. 7 The the shrimp:. 8 Clean and dry shrimp well. 9 Whisk egg whites lightly in a bowl, add the shrimp and coat well. 10 Combine the flour and cornstarch. Dredge the shrimp. 11 Fry shrimp in hot oil, 3-5 minutes until the breading is golden and the shrimp are pink. Fry only a couple shrimp at a time, transferring to a paper towel to drain. Continue until all the shrimp are cooked. 12 Toss the shrimp and honey dew and/or cantaloupe melon balls in the warm sauce. Top with candied walnuts. Serve over rice!
PF CHANG'S SHRIMP WITH CANDIED WALNUTS
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- The the walnuts: 2. Prepare a piece of parchment paper or lightly grease a baking sheet. Set aside. 3. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the walnuts, stirring constantly. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until thickened. Place the walnuts on the parchment paper or baking sheet. Separating them carefully. Allow them to cool fully. 4. An alternative to this is to simply toss the walnuts in a skillet with some white sugar and heat over medium-high heat, tossing constantly until the sugar is melted and caramelized. For the sauce:. 6. Whisk this together over a low heat until warm. You want a very pale yellow color, if the color is too pale, add a dash more tumeric. Remove from heat. The the shrimp:. 8. Clean and dry shrimp well. 9. Whisk egg whites lightly in a bowl, add the shrimp and coat well. 10. Combine the flour and cornstarch. Dredge the shrimp. 11. Fry shrimp in hot oil, 3-5 minutes until the breading is golden and the shrimp are pink. Fry only a couple shrimp at a time, transferring to a paper towel to drain. Continue until all the shrimp are cooked. 12. Toss the shrimp and honey dew and/or cantaloupe melon balls in the warm sauce. Top with candied walnuts. Serve over rice!
HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP
Hong Kong Style Chinese recipe! Crispy battered shrimp tossed in creamy sauce topped with sugar coated walnuts
Provided by Celia
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian Chinese
Time 30m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Stir together the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the walnuts. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain and place walnuts on a cookie sheet to dry.
- Whip egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy. Stir in the mochiko until it has a pasty consistency. Heat the oil in a heavy deep skillet over medium-high heat. Dip shrimp into the mochiko batter, and then fry in the hot oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- In a medium serving bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, honey and sweetened condensed milk. Add shrimp and toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle the candied walnuts on top and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 605.2 calories, Carbohydrate 68 g, Cholesterol 179.4 mg, Fat 26.3 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 26.1 g, SaturatedFat 3.7 g, Sodium 340.2 mg, Sugar 45.2 g
Tips:
- Mise en Place: Ensure all ingredients are measured, prepped, and easily accessible before cooking. This will help streamline the cooking process.
- Use Quality Ingredients: Fresh, high-quality ingredients will significantly enhance the flavor of the dish. Opt for plump shrimp, crunchy walnuts, and flavorful vegetables.
- Candy the Walnuts Perfectly: Keep a close eye on the walnuts while candying them. They should be golden brown and slightly caramelized, not burnt.
- Cook the Shrimp Properly: Overcooking can result in tough, rubbery shrimp. Cook them just until they turn opaque and pink, about 2-3 minutes.
- Balance the Flavors: The sauce should be a harmonious blend of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors. Adjust the ingredients as needed to achieve your desired taste profile.
Conclusion:
This delectable dish combines the juicy sweetness of shrimp, the crunchy texture of candied walnuts, and a flavorful sauce that tantalizes the taste buds. With its vibrant colors and enticing aroma, it's sure to impress dinner guests or make a memorable weeknight meal. So gather your ingredients, follow the step-by-step instructions, and indulge in the irresistible flavors of PF Chang's Shrimp with Candied Walnuts. Bon appétit!
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