Restaurant-Style Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp

Prepare 12 fresh large prawns (about 300g). Use kitchen scissors to trim off the rostrum and antennae. Snip open the neck connection between head and body, squeeze out the head stomach/brain, and pull out the digestive vein. Twist off the shrimp heads and reserve them for oil or soup, keeping the whole shrimp bodies intact.

Arrange the headless shrimp bodies on a plate and place into the freezer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the flesh is firm to touch but not frozen rock solid.

Remove the chilled shrimp from the freezer. Hold the main shrimp body with one hand and pinch the tail with the other hand, then gently push forward from the tail to slip the intact peeled shrimp meat out effortlessly.

Place peeled shrimp meat into a bowl, pour in fresh water (about 200ml), and gently rub with hands to wash away surface slime. Rinse twice with fresh water until clear, then drain and squeeze out excess moisture.

Place drained shrimp flat on a cutting board. Use a sharp chef knife to make a shallow slit down the back of each shrimp about halfway deep, making sure not to cut all the way through.

Put slit shrimp into a bowl. Add 2g salt, 2g white pepper powder, and 10g cornstarch. Mix vigorously by hand until coated with a sticky layer for base flavor and tenderness. Add 10ml cooking oil, stir well to lock in moisture, and let marinate for 8 minutes.

Take 3 stalks of green onion (about 15g), trim off the root ends, chop finely into small green onion rings, and place on a small plate for later use.

In a small bowl, combine 10g cornstarch with 30ml water. Stir thoroughly with a spoon until dissolved into a smooth starch slurry.

Crack 5 eggs into a large clean bowl. Add 2g salt and pour in the prepared starch slurry. Beat vigorously with chopsticks in one direction until the egg whites and yolks are fully combined into a airy liquid.

Pour 1000ml water into a wok and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Drop the marinated shrimp one by one into the boiling water. Blanch on high heat for about 10 seconds until shrimp curl and turn bright pink, then immediately scoop out with a skimmer strainer and drain thoroughly.

Transfer the blanched, drained shrimp directly into the prepared egg mixture bowl, then add the chopped scallions. Stir gently with chopsticks so the shrimp and scallions are evenly coated with raw egg mixture.

Heat a clean wok and pour in 30ml cooking oil. When the oil warms up to about 120°C (medium-low heat), reduce fire to low and pour in all the shrimp egg mixture at once. Do not stir immediately; allow the bottom to slightly set. Then use a spatula to gently push cooked curds from the edges towards the center, letting raw liquid egg flow onto the hot pan surface. Repeat pushing slowly until the eggs are about 90% set into shiny, fluffy, silky soft folds, then turn off heat immediately.

Use the spatula to gently slide the fluffy golden scrambled eggs with shrimp onto a white serving plate. Serve hot immediately.