30-Min Steamed Shrimp with Glass Noodles
Steamed Shrimp with Glass Noodles is a Cantonese seafood dish featuring tender shrimp and silky vermicelli topped with aromatic garlic sauce and a sizzling oil finish.
Ingredients
For the steamed shrimp with glass noodles
- 6 ounces glass noodles
- 3 cups hot water, for soaking
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil, high-smoking-point oil such as avocado
- 1 tablespoon scallions, thinly sliced
For the sauce
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium red finger hot pepper, minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- Pinch of white pepper
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil, high-smoking-point oil such as avocado or grapeseed
Instructions
- To soften the noodles, in a bowl, soak the glass noodles in the hot water for 5 minutes until softened. Drain well and form into small nests on a heatproof plate.
- To prepare the shrimp, butterfly each shrimp by slicing along the back without cutting through. Make a small slit in the center and thread the tail through. Arrange on top of the noodle nests.
- To make the sauce, in a heatproof bowl, combine the garlic, red finger pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and white pepper. In a pan over high heat, heat the cooking oil until smoking and carefully pour over the garlic mixture.
- To steam, spoon the sauce evenly over the shrimp and noodles. Steam over high heat for about 3 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and reach 145°F (63°C) internally.
- To finish, sprinkle scallions on top. Optional: heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil until smoking and pour over the scallions for extra aroma. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
• Drain thoroughly: Excess water will dilute the sauce during steaming.
• Butterfly evenly: This ensures uniform cooking and elegant presentation.
• Bloom the garlic properly: Pouring hot oil over the aromatics deepens flavor and removes raw sharpness.
• Steam briefly: Shrimp cook quickly — overcooking leads to a rubbery texture.
• Use high-smoking-point oil: Avocado or grapeseed oil prevents burning during the hot oil pour.
• Protein swap: This method works beautifully with scallops or thin white fish fillets — adjust steaming time accordingly.