Prawns with Lobster Sauce

Last week, just in time for meal planning, our new Quick & Easy Enjoy Chinese Cuisine cookbook arrived from Amazon. We both took some time to flip through the recipes, which look great. It includes classics like Shu Mai, Potstickers, Eggrolls, Hum Bow, Won Ton Soup, Hot & Sour Soup, Chow Mein, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Almond Fried Chicken, Barbecued Pork, Egg Fu Yung... you get the idea. I was worried how we'd pick one to try first, but Dan helped narrow the field by suggesting something with prawns.

We were both drawn to the Prawns with Lobster Sauce recipe, which happens to be the photo chosen for the front page of the Seafood section, and looked delicious. It doesn't actually include lobster, but with prawns, pork, fermented black beans, and hot sauce, it's full of flavor and any lack of lobster isn't missed.

Similar to the Quick & Easy Thai Cuisine cookbook we've been using almost weekly, this one's full of pictures and simple, step-by-step instructions with photos for each step. This one includes even more pictures, as each recipe includes a photo of the ingredients, and a photo of the 'Presentation' - the finished dish, along with any classic accompaniments.

Dan & I both really enjoyed the dish, and it was definitely quick and easy to make - just like the title promises. We'll surely be making it again - but not before we try some of the other recipes.

Prawns with Lobster Sauce
1 lb prawns, shelled, deveined, and rinsed
1 1/2 Tbspn fermented black beans, rinsed & drained
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 slice ginger root
1 tspn sugar
3 Tbspn oil
1/2 lb ground pork
2 tspn hot bean paste (more to make spicy)
2 Tbpsn oyster sauce
1/4 tspn salt
2/3 cups water
1 egg
1 green onion, chopped
About 1 Tbspn cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbspn cold water

Mash black beans with garlic, ginger and sugar. Set aside. Add oil to wok on high heat and stir fry pork about 2 minutes (or until pink color is gone). Add black bean mixture and stir to combine. Add prawns and cook 1/2 minute. Add hot bean paste. Add oyster sauce, salt and water. Bring to a boil, cover wok, and let cook 1 minute. Stir in egg, green onions, and cornstarch mixture, and cook until sauce thickens.

(Like with Thai cooking, it's best to get all the ingredients measured and ready before starting, so you can toss them into the hot wok one after another.)