SHUN LEE'S LOBSTER CANTONESE

Shun Lee's Lobster Cantonese image

Here is an adaptation of the lobster Cantonese served at the eminent Shun Lee West restaurant in New York, which Alex Witchel captured for us in 2009. "Nostalgia deluxe," she called the dish, totally accurately. It seems complicated to prepare. It is not. Set up all your ingredients beforehand, and the process moves quickly and is not at all difficult.

Provided by Alex Witchel

Categories dinner, quick, one pot, main course

Time 20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

Vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 1 1/2 pound raw lobster, cut into pieces (see note) or three 3-ounce raw lobster tails in the shell, chopped into quarters
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) ground pork
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 water chestnuts, preferably freshly peeled, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots
3 white button mushrooms, blanched in boiling water for 1 minute, drained and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1/4 cup frozen green peas, defrosted
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt
ground white pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 whole scallions, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1/2 teaspoon dark Asian sesame oil
Hot cooked rice, for serving

Steps:

Place a large wok over high heat. Add enough oil to come halfway up the side and heat until it shimmers. Working in batches, carefully add lobster pieces (oil will bubble up) and cook until shells are red and meat is opaque, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Reheat oil between batches.
Discard all but 1 tablespoon of oil from wok, and reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and stir-fry about 10 seconds. Increase heat to high, add pork, and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 1 minute. Add sherry and bring to a boil. Add broth, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, peas, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper. Add lobster and bring to a boil.
Stir in cornstarch. Drizzle egg around edge of mixture, let set, and stir. Add scallion and sesame oil. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, with rice.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 326, UnsaturatedFat 9 grams, Carbohydrate 14 grams, Fat 12 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 36 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 880 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams