Marinated Shrimp, Mozzarella Perfectly Suited Paired with Alcohol; Marinade’s Wine Makes Great Highball

By Ryo Kato / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

13:00 JST, December 8, 2024

Large shrimp and mozzarella cheese marinated in Shaoxing wine are the perfect snack to jazz up the dining table on autumn nights. Cooking expert Ryo Imai shares his recipe for a snack that also goes great with alcohol.

Shaoxing wine enriches food with a fragrant flavor, making splendid appetizers or snacks.

In Chinese restaurants, live shrimp are often soaked in the wine for steaming, or raw shrimp are marinated with it. However, live shrimp are hard to come by and can have fishy smell after marination.

“In my recipe, I lightly boiled shrimp for sashimi to preserve their plump texture and sweetness,” Imai said. “You don’t need expensive Shaoxing wine. The wine you can find at supermarkets will do well.”

Even if you have never processed shrimp with the head still attached, scissors can be handily used to get the job done. Cut the shrimp’s legs off with quick, sharp movements of scissors. The part on the top of the head — called the rostrum — is sharp, so cut it off along with the antennae.

Bonito flakes play a key role in the marinade.

“They add umami flavor without masking the Shaoxing wine’s aroma,” Imai said.

But too much bonito will spoil the wine’s flavor, so a mini pack of dried bonito is just right. When heating the marinade mixed with spices and other ingredients, Imai recommends turning off the heat when it starts boiling to keep it from losing the wine’s aroma.

Boil the shrimp for a short time and dab away excess moisture before marination. The mozzarella should be marinated in a separate container to keep it from absorbing the smell of the shrimp. Leave them for up to a day to fully absorb the wine’s flavor. Marinating time can be adjusted to suit your preference, but the shrimp may start to smell if they are left for more than 24 hours.

The shrimp, served together with the cheese, looks splendid. The aroma of the Shaoxing wine and star anise spread throughout my mouth when chewing the plump shrimp. It left me with a craving for some alcohol.

Shaoxing wine highball

To make a Shaoxing wine highball, fill a glass with plenty of ice and squeeze the juice from a sliced lemon. Add Shaoxing wine and sparkling water and stir. The amount of alcohol is up to you, but the recommended ratio is one part wine and two parts water. You may find straight Shaoxing wine a little strong if you are not used to it, but the carbonation and lemon flavor make it refreshing and easy to drink, and you can still enjoy the wine’s rich flavor.

***

Shrimp and cheese marinated in Shaoxing wine

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• 8 akaebi whiskered velvet shrimp for sashimi (with heads)
• 1 ball of mozzarella



Marinade:

• 1 small piece of ginger
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 star anise
• 1 whole dried red chili pepper
• 1 pack of dried bonito (1.5 grams)
• ½ cup Shaoxing wine



Directions:

1. Cut off the legs, antennae and rostrum of the shrimp with scissors. Remove the back vein with a bamboo skewer. Wash and pat dry.

2. To make the marinade, slice the ginger and garlic and put them in a pan. Add the star anise, red pepper, dried bonito pack, Shaoxing wine, ½ cup of water, ¼ cup each of soy sauce and mirin, and 1 teaspoon each of sugar and sesame oil. Turn off the heat when brought to a boil. Place the pan in a bowl of iced water to cool.

3. Bring some water to boil, add the shrimp and cook over medium heat for about a minute. Remove the shrimp and pat them dry.

4. Wipe the mozzarella dry and cut it in half.