Hot mayo with stir fried shrimp and vegetables? Yes please! Oh, wait, no? I admit that hot mayo doesn’t sound the most appetizing, but man it makes the best sauce! You know that sauce you get at your favorite Hibachi restaurant? Some call it “yum yum”, I call it “shrimp sauce,” guess what the main ingredient is? Mayo!
Our household has a love for Asian ingredients, and my new affection is for Kewpie! It is a Japanese mayonnaise that is smoother and richer than American mayo. You can actually taste the creamy texture of the egg yolk. It is also made from rice wine vinegar instead of plain distilled vinegar, so it has more depth of flavor. This is levels above your average mayo and worth seeking out at your local Asian grocery store. I didn’t realize it, but shrimp and Kewpie go together like PB&J, steak and eggs. You get the point. Something about the richness of the Kewpie and the sweetness of the shrimp balance so well together.
I picked up some green garlic from our farmers’ market, and I thought it would be the perfect addition to this stir fry. I don’t know about you, but whenever I eat shrimp I always want tons of garlic with it. Green garlic is young garlic so it is milder and sweeter. Think of a cross between garlic and scallion, the flavor is in the middle of those two. Green garlic is the ideal compliment to this stir fry because the garlic flavor is subtle, and it doesn’t over power the Kewpie sauce. When prepping the green garlic, only use the white and barely green parts. The same way you would use a leek, the higher up you go the more woodsy and tough the stems get. Oh, and not only is this recipe all that your shrimp dreams are made of, but it also is dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!
- 1 lb large peeled and deveined shrimp (tails on or off)
- 3 tbsp of Kewpie mayo
- 1 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 tsp of Sriracha (or more depending on preference)
- 2 tbsp of grape seed oil (or any neutral oil)
- 2 zucchini, chopped
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- *7 stalks of green garlic (see note below), white and light green parts only, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 small onion, sliced
- hot white rice for serving
- In a small bowl whisk together the Kewpie, soy, ketchup and Sriracha. Set aside.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add the oil. Once hot, add the zucchini and the kosher salt. Saute for about 6-7 minutes or until zucchini start to get golden brown. Add the green garlic and onion. Saute for 5 minutes or until they start to soften. Push the veggies to the side of the pan to create a space in the middle for the shrimp.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the shrimp to the middle of the pan in a single layer. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp develop color and then flip them over. Cook for 2 minutes on the other side. Stir to combine the shrimp and vegetables from the side of the pan. Turn off the heat and add the Kewpie sauce. Stir very well to coat. Serve immediately over white rice.
- * If you can't find green garlic, substitute 2 cloves chopped garlic and 7 scallions chopped in 2 inch pieces.