Simmered Shrimp

Instructions

1. Please note that this recipe requires soaking time of 4 hours or overnight. If you will include this dish in your Osechi meal, I recommend preparing it up to 1–2 days before you plan to serve. For more helpful tips on planning your Japanese New Year feast, please read my A 5-Day Osechi Cooking Timeline blog post.
2. Gather all the ingredients.
3. With the shells and heads on, devein 5 black tiger shrimp (please follow step 2 of my tutorial on How to Devein Shrimp). Then, quickly rinse under cold running water. With a pair of kitchen shears (or knife), cut off the pointy tips of the head and the antennas. Finally, trim the tips of the tail at an angle for better presentation (optional).
4. In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup sake and 2 Tbsp mirin. Turn on the heat to medium and bring it to a boil to let the alcohol evaporate.
5. Add ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) and 2 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce and bring to a boil again.
6. Once boiling, lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Place the shrimp in the pot, bend and hold the backs with chopsticks or a pair of tongs to form the shape of the Japanese hiragana character “つ”. Work quickly and add all the shrimp to the pot around the same time so the cooking time will be similar.
7. Simmer for 4–5 minutes over low heat. Don't overcook. While it's cooking, use a fine-mesh skimmer to skim the scum and fat off the surface of the simmering liquid.
8. Once it's cooked, immediately transfer the shrimp to a container and reserve the cooking liquid.
9. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl, preferably through a coffee filter or super fine-mesh strainer. This removes the unwanted protein and fat so the final dish will look cleaner and prettier. Discard the filter and let the cooking liquid cool.
10. Once the cooking liquid is completely cool, pour it over the shrimp. Do not pour while the liquid is still hot, as this will overcook the shrimp. Cover and soak for 4 hours or overnight.
11. Serve it cold or at room temperature for Osechi Ryori.
12. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.