Homemade Shrimp Paste (Xia Hua)

Ingredients

• 2 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined, divided)
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 0.25 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp white pepper
• ginger (to taste, for aromatics)
• scallion (to taste, for aromatics)
• water (a splash for consistency)
• Shaoxing wine (a splash for flavor)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the shrimp by ensuring they are peeled, deveined, and cleaned.

2. 2

   Set aside a small portion of the shrimp to be added later for texture.

3. 3

   Add the majority of the shrimp to a food processor along with the egg white, corn starch, salt, white pepper, ginger, scallion, a splash of water, and Shaoxing wine.

4. 4

   Blend the mixture until it becomes a completely smooth paste.

5. 5

   Add the reserved whole shrimp back into the food processor.

6. 6

   Pulse or blend for just a few seconds more so that the added shrimp are chopped but still provide chunky texture within the smooth paste.

7. 7

   Portion the paste into small plastic bags. Flatten them into a triangle shape (similar to store-bought versions) for easy storage and squeezing later.

Notes

This paste can be frozen for later use. It is traditionally used in hot pot but is also excellent for stuffing tofu or peppers. The transcript mentions aromatics like ginger, scallion, and Shaoxing wine which enhance the flavor but were not listed in the primary description's ingredient list.

Nutrition per serving

• shrimp
• seafood
• hot pot
• chinese
• homemade
• meal prep
• gluten-free
• dairy-free