Hong Kong Kailan in Shrimp Roe Powder
When I went to Hong Kong last month, I had a mission to find dried shrimp roe powder (虾子 or “Ha-Zi” in Cantonese) and by very good luck, I found it. Read more about shrimp roe powder here. One of the first dishes I made with this Macau/Hong Kong condiment is this easy Hong Kong kailan (gai-lan) in oyster sauce.
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The Hong Kong Kailan Shoots (芥兰苗; pictured above) is briefly blanched in boiling water (less than 2 minutes) and then drizzled in a simple no-cook sauce before sprinkling with some toasted shrimp roe powder. The result looks gourmet and restaurant-quality, but only took me less than 15 minutes to make. I now have a theory that anything coated in this powder will be guaranteed delicious as the dried shrimp roe imparts an incredible salty umami goodness!
Toasted Shrimp Roe Powder
Prepared kailan and shrimp roe powder for serving.
Sprinkle the toasted shrimp roe powder over just before serving.
Hong Kong Kailan in Shrimp Roe Powder Recipe
In this recipe, I am using the variety of Hong Kong kailan with thin and short stalks (called “芥兰苗”), and it is ready to use from the packet without needing to trim the stalks. If you are using regular Hong Kong kailan with thick stalks, divide the leafy portion from the stems. Then At step 3, cook the stem for 1 minute first, then add the leafy part to cook for another 1 and 1/2 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 tbsp shrimp roe powder
- 100 grams Hong Kong kailan rough ends trimmed
- 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
(A) Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp boiling water
Directions:
- Toast the shrimp roe powder on medium heat in a dry pan until you smell the fragrance, about a minute or less. Set aside in a saucer.
- Make the sauce by combining (A) in a small bowl and stir with a spoon to dissolve the sugar thoroughly. Set aside.
- In a small pot, add water (enough to submerge the vegetables) and vegetable oil. When the water is boiling, add kailan and cook for 1 and 1/2 minutes. Drain in a colander.
- Arrange cooked vegetables on serving plate and drizzle the sauce over. Just before serving, sprinkle toasted shrimp roe powder over the vegetables.