Hand-Beaten Shrimp Paste (Shǒu Dǎ Xiā Huá)

手打虾滑

Hand-Beaten Shrimp Paste (Shǒu Dǎ Xiā Huá) — a Chinese recipe made with fresh shrimp, ready in about 35 minutes. Step-by-step instructions with photos.

Ingredients

• fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• fine sea salt
• Shaoxing wine
• white pepper powder

Instructions

1. Chill shrimp and a stainless steel bowl in freezer for 10 minutes. Cold temperature prevents protein breakdown during pounding.
2. Place chilled shrimp in the cold bowl. Using the flat side of a cleaver or heavy knife, begin pounding rhythmically—lift high, strike firmly, fold shrimp over, repeat. (Shrimp break into coarse pulp after 2 minutes, then gradually turn glossy and sticky.)
3. Add salt, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper. Continue pounding another 2 minutes until mixture is elastic and stringy when stretched between fingers.
4. Cover tightly and refrigerate 20 minutes. This firms the paste and improves cohesion for hot pot cooking. (Surface looks matte and slightly taut, not wet or weeping.)
5. Using two spoons or a damp hand, shape into 2-cm ovals. Drop gently into simmering hot pot broth—do not stir. Cook 1.5–2 minutes until opaque and buoyant.