Craig Wong’s bay scallop & shrimp balls with C-Plus red vinegar gastrique
“When you’re a kid, there’s nothing fun about your parents dragging you along to a Chinese wedding … except for the 10- course gourmet feast! The ‘hai keem’ stuffed crab claws were always my favourite,” says Craig Wong of Patois and the new Bar Mignonette. “Every time I’d be lucky enough to get one, I’d be sipping on a C- Plus orange soda. The flavours became intertwined — now, it’s almost sacrilegious to not pair C- Plus and stuffed crab claws.”
SCALLOP & SHRIMP BALLS
- 1lb black tiger shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1⁄4 lb bay scallops
- 1 1⁄2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 5 1⁄2 tbsp potato starch, divided
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1⁄4 tsp white pepper, ground
- 1 1⁄2 tbsp salt
- 7 crab claws, cooked and half-shelled (optional)
- 34 oz panko vegetable oil
METHOD
1. Place a dry food processor bowl and blade in the freezer for 30 minutes.
2. Place half a pound of the shrimp in the chilled bowl and quickly pulse three times. Hand-chop the remaining shrimp and the scallops.
3. Season the mixture with the rice wine, 1 tbsp of potato starch, sesame oil, white pepper and salt.
4. Cook a small amount to test for seasoning.
5. Dip your hands in water and form the shrimp into 3 ounce round balls. If using the crab claws, insert each one into a shrimp ball; gently mold and shape the shrimp mix around half of the crab claw, leaving the pincers exposed.
6. Use the remaining potato starch to make a slurry. Lightly dip the shrimp balls in the slurry, a few at a time.
7. Toss the balls into the panko until coated in breadcrumbs.
8. Deep-fry the seafood balls in vegetable oil at 325°F for approximately four minutes or until they reach an internal temp of 135°F.
C-PLUS RED VINEGAR GASTRIQUE
- 17 oz C-Plus orange soda
- 20 oz Chinese red vinegar
METHOD
1. In a saucepan over low heat, reduce the orange soda by 75 per cent.
2. Add red vinegar. Reduce slowly until the sauce slightly thickens and enjoy as a dip.
