I was inspired to make this saucy shrimp and tofu dish after recently ordering some take out Fook Kin fried rice, which is an egg fried rice that is topped with diced shrimp, dried scallops, mushrooms, chicken, and vegetables in a thick gravy.
The thick gravy is what makes the dish so addictively yummy!
While this shrimp and tofu recipe is not Fook Kin fried rice, the ample thick stock-based gravy with whole shrimps is reminiscent of the regional fried rice dish, but doesn't require as much prepping and ingredients. Normally, I use pantry staple "short-cuts" such as powdered dried ginger or granulated dried garlic, but in this saucy shrimp and tofu dish where the shrimp and gravy are the star of the dish, you will need to use fresh ginger and garlic. So don't substitute those out.
The other thing to point out is to use good fresh shrimp--which interestingly are actually individually flash frozen shrimps with the shell still on. That way, you can control how the shrimps defrost rather than buying them pre-defrosted from the store. Once you thaw out the shrimps though, you have to use them all, because re-freezing thawed shrimp is a guarantee for mushy shrimp. (Side note: I accidently picked up a bag of frozen shrimp that had the additive sodium triphosphate. Normally, I read the labels carefully, but I must have been in a hurry at the market that day. Ugh! Some brands add sodium triphosphate [other names: sodium tripolyphosphate, tripolyphosphate] in seafood for water retention. Luckily, the compound is very water soluble, so rather than defrosting the shrimps in the fridge overnight, I just put the frozen shrimps in a large bowl of water to defrost for about 30 minutes to an hour, and then rinse before peeling and deveining.)
And lastly, the key to juicy shrimp with a "bouncy" and "crunchy" texture is to massage the raw shrimp with some salt before cooking them. I've discussed this salt massage technique earlier in my broccoli and shrimp post. So don't skip this step!
Let's cook!
Saucy Shrimp and Tofu
Gather and prep all ingredients before turning on the stove. 
Pan fry "massaged" shrimps in a single layer. 
Transfer to a plate 
Add more oil, ginger, garlic and tofu to pan 
Add chicken stock, cornstarch slurry, and cook with gentle stirring until thickened. 
Return shrimp to pan. Add green onions. 
Gently toss to warm shrimps. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot over egg fried rice.
Egg Fried Rice
Scramble eggs and push to one side. Add rice and seasonings. Mix. 
Add green onions and toss to mix
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients for Shrimp and Tofu:
- 1 lb raw large shrimp, shells removed and deveined (about 24 large shrimps)
- 1 box 16oz tofu, cut into 16 equal pieces
- 6 thin slices fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 scallions, diced
- 2 c low sodium chicken broth
- oil for stir frying
Corn starch slurry Ingredients:
- 2 T corn starch
- 1 c low sodium chicken broth
- 1 t sugar
- 1 T mirin
- salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for Egg Fried Rice:
- 3 c cooked day old rice
- ½ t salt
- 1 t to 2 t soy sauce
- ½ t sesame oil
- pinch of sugar
- pinch of pepper
- 2 scrambled eggs
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 T oil
Procedures:
1. Defrost shrimp by soaking the frozen shrimp in a large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Note: This will also help to remove most of the sodium triphosphate if you were unfortunate enough to buy frozen shrimp that has the additive.) Clean shrimp by removing shells and vein. Massage shrimp with 1 t salt for about 2 min in a bowl; then let sit for 5 min. (Shrimp gets foamy during the massage.) Rinse shrimp several times with cold water, drain, and set aside.
2. In a separate small bowl, make a slurry with the cornstarch, 1 c chicken broth, sugar, and mirin. Set aside.
3. Slice the ginger, chop the garlic and scallions, and dice the tofu. Set aside.
4. To a nonstick pan, heat 1 T oil. Add shrimp to pan in a single layer and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes under high heat. When the bottom is slightly browned, turn off the heat and transfer the shrimp to a plate. The shrimp will not be fully cooked yet, but it’s OK. Set aside.
5. Turn the heat back on, and add a bit more oil to the pan if needed. Then add the ginger, garlic and tofu to the pan. When the garlic and ginger start sizzling, pour in the 2 c of chicken broth. Gently stir, scrapping up the brown bits off the pan. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until the chicken broth is boiling hot.
6. Pour in cornstarch slurry and gently stir for about 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture thickens.
7. Return shrimp to the pan. Add in the chopped scallions. Gently stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the shrimps are just cooked through. Taste and add some salt and pepper if desired. It was plenty salty for me without adding more salt. (The salt comes from the salt massage and the chicken broth.) Serve hot over egg fried rice.
EGG FRIED RICE Procedures:
1. Add 1 T oil to pan and scramble the 2 beaten eggs. Push eggs to one side of pan.
2. Add the rice and break it up so there are no clumps. Add salt, sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss and mix with eggs. Add scallions and mix. Plate. Top with the Saucy Shrimp and Tofu