Name: Chinese Shrimp Balls
Ingredients: ⅔ pound medium shrimp, peeled, scored down the back, deveined, rinsed, and patted dry; ½ cup water chestnuts, blanched in boiling water for 10 seconds, refreshed in cold water, drained, and patted dry; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; ¼ pound thin rice stick noodles (vermicelli); safflower or corn oil for deep-frying; plum or duck sauce and hot mustard for dipping

Why it works: Rice and safflower share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 22 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Chinese Shrimp Balls

Oven375°F

Time3 to 4 minutes

Ingredients

⅔ pound medium shrimp, peeled, scored down the back, deveined, rinsed, and patted dry
½ cup water chestnuts, blanched in boiling water for 10 seconds, refreshed in cold water, drained, and patted dry
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ pound thin rice stick noodles (vermicelli)
safflower or corn oil for deep-frying
plum or duck sauce and hot mustard for dipping

Directions

Make the shrimp mixture

Process the shrimp in a food processor fitted with a steel blade until a paste forms, then transfer the shrimp paste to a large bowl.
Add the water chestnuts, seasonings, egg white, and cornstarch to the bowl and stir vigorously until a stiff paste forms.
Chill the mixture thoroughly.

Shape and coat

Cut the noodles into ½-inch lengths while draping a towel over the hand holding the knife, then spread the noodle pieces evenly on a cookie sheet.
Shape scant teaspoonfuls of the shrimp mixture into balls.
Roll each ball in the noodle pieces, pressing lightly to coat, and set the coated balls on a cookie sheet.

Fry and serve

Heat a wok or deep skillet or saucepan over high, add the oil to the pan, and heat the oil to 375°F.
Deep-fry the shrimp balls in batches, turning them constantly, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove the balls with a handled strainer or slotted spoon, drain them briefly in a colander, then transfer the drained balls to paper towels.
Between batches, skim the oil with a fine strainer and reheat until hot.
Serve the shrimp balls warm with sauce and mustard.
To reheat, warm the shrimp balls on a cookie sheet in a 375°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1285Calories

70 gProtein

37 gFat

166 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 12 ingredients. The other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Duck	100g cooked with skin	337
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Shrimp	100g cooked	99
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Corn Oil	1/2 cup kernels (82g)	77
Plum	1 medium (66g)	30
Mustard	1 tsp (5g) yellow	3
Water Chestnut	not in our table	0
Water	not in our table	0
Safflower	not in our table	0
Sauce	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Rice + safflowertop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together22 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Water chestnut + ricetop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together63 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Shrimp + ricetop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,055 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-methylbutanol (malty, whiskey).
Water chestnut + safflowertop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Shrimp + water chestnuttop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together47 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyraldehyde (malty, chocolate).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Shrimp: Provides the main protein and, once puréed and bound, forms the body of each ball.
Egg: Binds the shrimp paste so the balls hold their shape while frying.
Cornstarch: Absorbs moisture and helps the mixture set into a stiff paste that holds together.
Water chestnuts: Add a crisp, juicy texture that stays firm through frying.
Rice stick noodles: Form a crunchy coating that browns and crisps in the hot oil.

The step that matters

Chilling the shrimp mixture thoroughly. A cold, firm mixture holds its shape when shaped and coated. Warm or soft paste can slump or fall apart in the hot oil, so it should be chilled before shaping.

Swap the plum

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (shrimp, water chestnut, egg, rice, safflower):

Coconutfits better
Limefits better
Avocadofits better
Plumthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against shrimp, water chestnut, egg, rice, safflower. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Rice Fritters84 recipes

Chestnut Soup52 recipes

Steamed Rice48 recipes

Rice Griddle Cakes28 recipes

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Chinese Shrimp Balls