Classic Tomato and Egg and Sriracha Ketchup Shrimps...

"I never connected tomatoes to Chinese cooking," says Gary, one of the sweet senior learners in my Chinese cooking program. Never mind tomatoes but how about North America's darling burger and hot dog condiment ketchup lol? Try two very popular home-style Chinese dishes- one comfort classic tomato and egg, and the other- sweet heat spin on tangy ketchup shrimps with generous squirts of sriracha.

Stir-frying tomatoes and eggs together is a quick and satisfying staple in Chinese home cooking. Juicy tomatoes mingle with softly scrambled eggs in a saucy dish that's scrumptious over steamed rice and what I classify as "easy eats" as it's easy to shovel down and finish before you know it!

I grew up on ketchup shrimps. My mom always left the shells on (to seal in the natural shrimp flavours) and also for us to suck and savour the sweet tangy sauce from the crispy aromatic shells. It's how I like to prepare it for my family, except I love to add an element of heat with Vietnamese cuisine's table condiment sriracha chili sauce. It is made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. Sweet heat baby, oh yeaaaahhh!! 

Classic Chinese Tomato and Egg
Makes 4 to 6 servings

3 eggs
salt and ground white pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. oil, divided
1 green onion, cut into three pieces
2 large ripe tomatoes, largely diced
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cooking wine
1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth, hot
2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1-1/2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. sesame oil (optional)
Garnish: sliced green onions

Beat eggs together. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook in hot skillet with 1 Tbsp. oil on medium-high heat until cooked. Break the egg up in large pieces. Remove eggs onto serving plate and set aside.

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and add one green onion cut into three pieces. Cook for a minute, then add tomatoes into the skillet. Add sugar and continue to cook for three minutes until softening and juice is released.

Add Chinese cooking wine. Stir tomatoes and cook for one minute. Pour in chicken broth. Cook until sauce is bubbling and the tomatoes are cooked. Add cornstarch mixture to sauce and stir to thicken.

Place the eggs back into the skillet. Toss for one minute and remove onto serving plate. Drizzle with a little sesame oil on top and garnish with slices green onions.

All prepped and ready set to cook!

Adjust sweetness with sugar to counter tomatoes' acidity.

The magic when fluffy scrambled egg hits cooked-down sweetened tomatoes.

A scrumptious and satisfying dish over rice that has saucy comfort all over it! 

For step-by-steps, see my Post.

Spicy Sriracha Ketchup Shrimps
Makes 4 servings

1/2 lb. medium to large shell-on deveined shrimps, thawed
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. oil
1 medium onion, chop into 1-inch pieces
1 green onion, white part cut into 2-inch pieces; green part chopped, for garnish
2 slices ginger
1/2 coloured bell pepper, chopped (optional)
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. sriracha hot sauce (adjust to your taste preference)
1 tsp. soy sauce
salt and ground pepper to taste
water

Mix shrimps with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 cup water with your hand for one minute. A bubbly grey foam will appear. Run cold water into the bowl and rinse well until the foam disappears and the water is clear. Drain and pat shrimps dry. Coat with cornstarch and mix well.

Heat oil in wok or skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Sauté onions and ginger for two minutes. Add pepper (optional) and continue to stir-fry for two minutes until onions are soft and peppers crisp-tender. Add shrimps and garlic and cook for a few minutes until they turn pink and their shells golden.

Drizzle in the wine; let cook for one minute. Add ketchup, sriracha and soy sauce; stir-fry constantly, then add some water and let it thicken from the cornstarch until shrimps are done. Top with chopped green onions and serve hot.

Ketchup & Sriracha is a great combination that makes shrimps burst with flavour!

Finish with a sprinkle of green onions.

For step-by-steps, see my Post.

  

I want to end the post with this wonderful story .... my exchange with Gary (mentioned in the intro) in this very tomato and ketchup cooking class. Back on the first day of teaching my seniors fall program, his daughter dropped him off and whispers to me that she registered her dad to get him out of the house. Quiet at first, often on his phone, keeping to himself among 19 other senior learners, he consistently came to my classes. Although, he doesn't participate in the hands-on (he also uses a support cane to walk), I noticed him increasingly attentive and inquisitive about the recipe origins and cooking methods being taught.

Well, I learned that he had traveled extensively to China and he knew a thing or two about China's history and regions more than I do (I still have not been to my motherland). And so the experiential stories unraveled, like adventure anecdotes that peppered my sessions to the marvel of his classmates and me! Like whole cabbages being stacked between homes as a storage pantry to the access of the villagers as they need them. How cool and what a sight to travelers!! He's returned to my Winter cooking program and now on the wait-list for Spring. In this very class on tomato and egg, and sriracha ketchup shrimps, he commented that he never would have connected tomatoes to Chinese cooking, and "thank you Sue, for showing me a gentler way to use sriracha, cause I never understood how people can squeeze that red stuff all over a bowl of Vietnamese pho." And then I heard from another senior, that he was heading straight to the Asian supermarket to pick up ingredients, cause he's cooking that night!!! My heart melted. 💕 

Yes, cooking and sharing that love of cooking is incredibly rewarding but when you actually ignite that spark in someone to take it beyond the classroom, then that's the real deal. I feel so blessed to be able to take my passion for cooking from my kitchen into theirs. The pleasure is all mine 🙏