Simple Ways to Cook the Dishes in Industrial Catering Meals

How to cook authentically delicious dishes on an industrial catering menu

Every STAVI industrial catering meal is made up of many delicious, nutritious dishes with great variety, such as chicken with lime leaves, beef stir-fried with mushrooms, crispy fried grass carp, caramelized pork with quail eggs, water spinach stir-fried with garlic, and so on. To build the reputation and distinctive character of each delicious dish, we have our own recipes for every type of food. In this article, STAVI would like to share with our customers how to prepare the shrimp dishes in our industrial catering meals.

As we all know, shrimp is a familiar food in every Vietnamese household. There are many different varieties of shrimp today, but black tiger shrimp, iron shrimp, white shrimp and others are the most popular thanks to the distinctive sweet taste of their meat and their reasonable price. Shrimp dishes are extremely varied, but not everyone has the skill to create dishes that are both delicious and beautiful. Join industrial catering STAVI to discover how to cook delicious dishes made from shrimp:

How to cook delicious dishes made from shrimp

1. Grilled shrimp in industrial catering

• Preparing the ingredients:

  • After buying black tiger shrimp, rinse them several times in clean water, then use scissors to trim the legs and tail neatly.

  • Use a sharp knife to make a cut along the belly of the shrimp so that the marinade soaks deep inside.

  • To keep the shrimp nice and straight, you can thread them onto wooden skewers; note that the skewers must be washed clean before use.

• Marinating the shrimp with sate and grilling:

  • Marinate the shrimp with sate for 30 minutes.

  • Thread a clean bamboo skewer lengthwise through each shrimp so that it stays straight when grilled.

  • Arrange the shrimp on the grill rack, taking care to space them apart so they cook evenly.

  • While grilling, turn the shrimp over several times so that both sides cook evenly.

​​2. Beer-steamed shrimp in industrial catering

• Preparing the ingredients:

  • Toss the shrimp with coarse salt, then rinse clean. For extra care, you can cut away the grit in the shrimp head and remove the black vein along the back, rinse again and drain.

  • Trim the root of the lemongrass and remove the tough outer layers, cut into short pieces and crush so that it releases more fragrance when steamed.​

• Steaming the shrimp with beer and lemongrass:

  • Place a steaming rack in the pot, lay a thick layer of lemongrass underneath, then place the shrimp on top, pour in just enough beer and steam. About 2 minutes after the beer boils, lower the heat so it does not boil dry, and turn off the stove once the shrimp are evenly cooked.

  • For 1kg, you only need to steam for 7-8 minutes; once the shrimp turn a bright pinkish-orange, turn off the stove and keep the lid on until serving, then transfer to a plate so the shrimp stay hot.

  • Beer-and-lemongrass steamed shrimp has a distinctive, appealing flavor; because the shrimp are cooked by beer steam, they keep their sweetness and do not dry out or shrink. Watch the stove while steaming, as shrimp cook quite quickly; steaming too long makes them dry and chewy. Shrimp are best eaten hot, right after the stove is turned off, so they do not become fishy or watery.

3. Mixed shrimp stir-fry in industrial catering

• Preparing the ingredients:

  • Toss the shrimp with salt and soak so they are clean and release all dirty water. Everyone has their own way of preparing shrimp, but for an attractive and tasty stir-fry you should remove the heads, peel off the shells and keep a little shell at the tail.

  • Peeling helps the shrimp absorb the seasoning better, makes them soft and tasty, and saves diners the trouble of peeling. The shrimp heads can be used to make gourd soup or Malabar spinach soup.

  • Rinse the peeled shrimp once more and drain, then season to taste with fish sauce, oyster sauce and MSG. Mix the seasoning in well for about 10 minutes so the shrimp meat absorbs the flavor evenly.

  • Prepare the vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, baby corn), wash them and cut into small pieces.

  • Prepare the wood ear mushrooms and horn chili, and finely chop the shallots and garlic.

• Stir-frying the shrimp with mixed vegetables:

  • Add a tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan, heat the oil, then add half of the minced garlic and fry until fragrant; add the shrimp and stir-fry quickly over high heat for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a separate plate. Do not overcook, as the shrimp will dry out, lose moisture and become less sweet.

  • Next, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, heat it and fry the remaining minced garlic until fragrant. When the garlic turns golden, add the vegetables and stir-fry, seasoning to taste with oyster sauce, fish sauce and MSG, and toss steadily over high heat. Then add the wood ear mushrooms and horn chili and toss with the vegetables; after about 1 minute, add the shrimp and stir-fry together, adjust the seasoning to taste, stir-fry for about 30 more seconds and turn off the stove.

  • Shrimp stir-fried with vegetables is not only delicious and appealing but also a source of fiber, vitamins, protein, calcium, minerals and more that are very good for health. This simple stir-fry method, which does not take too much time, produces an extremely appetizing plate of shrimp and vegetables.

4. Tamarind shrimp in industrial catering

• Preparing the ingredients:

  • Choose healthy, evenly large shrimp, rinse them clean and toss with salt. For the shrimp to absorb the seasoning evenly, remove the heads and peel, leaving only the shell at the tail so the cooked shrimp look attractive. If you do not have time to peel, choose small, thin-shelled shrimp so that the seasoning soaks in evenly and the dish tastes better.

  • Marinate the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce, a little oyster sauce, ground pepper and MSG; mix well to absorb the seasoning and leave for about 15 minutes.

  • Prepare finely chopped shallots and garlic, and wash and finely chop fresh chili; if you do not like spicy food, you can leave out the chili.

  • Choose ready-peeled tamarind, soak it in water until it dissolves, mash it, strain to collect the tamarind juice and discard all the seeds.

• Cooking and enjoying the tamarind shrimp:

  • Pour a suitable amount of cooking oil into the pan, heat the oil and fry the minced garlic until golden. Then add the shrimp and stir-fry until firm for about 1 minute, then season with oyster sauce, fish sauce, MSG and sugar, and pour in the tamarind juice.

  • Stir well so the shrimp absorb the seasoning and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the shrimp turn an attractive pinkish-red and the sauce is thick, smooth and pleasantly sweet and sour; then add the minced garlic, stir for about 30 seconds and turn off the stove. Transfer the tamarind shrimp to a plate and serve hot with rice.

5. Shrimp with pork belly in industrial catering

• Preparing the ingredients:

  • Choose large shallot and garlic bulbs, peel and finely chop. Pick over the spring onions to remove yellowed leaves, cut off the roots and wash clean. Cut the spring onions into short pieces to make the dish more appealing.

  • Rinse the shrimp, cut off the antennae and legs, remove the black part in the head and the vein along the back so the shrimp are not fishy. Alternatively, cut off the heads, rinse and drain.

  • Drain the shrimp, then marinate with 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and MSG. Mix well and marinate for about 15 minutes so the seasoning soaks in evenly. Rinse the pork, cut into bite-sized pieces and marinate the same way as the shrimp.

• Cooking the shrimp with pork belly:

  • Pour some cooking oil into the pot, heat it, then fry the minced shallots, garlic and spring onion whites until fragrant; add the marinated pork and cook until golden. Increase the heat so the pork firms up quickly.

  • When the pork is evenly golden, add the shrimp and toss together; once the shrimp firm up and turn golden-pink, add a little sugar and cook until slightly thickened. Lower the heat and add 1 tablespoon of pepper and 1 tablespoon of annatto oil for aroma.

  • Continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes until the pork and shrimp are glossy, the flavor is rich and the juices have thickened; then add the spring onions, stir well and turn off the stove.

  • Transfer the shrimp and pork belly to a plate; served with hot rice and sour soup, it is simply wonderful. If you like it spicy, add a few slices of fresh chili at the same step as the spring onions.

STAVI's shrimp dishes are appealing and easy to prepare

Shrimp is an easy-to-find ingredient with an appealing flavor, high nutritional value and easy preparation. However, even with the same recipe, not everyone produces delicious dishes.

For a dish to taste good, the quality of the shrimp plays an extremely important role. Therefore, STAVI's advice to home cooks is to choose fresh shrimp and avoid stale shrimp, which not only spoil the dish but also reduce its nutritional value. 

With a preparation method that is not too elaborate and results in a delicious dish to enjoy at home, it is well worth the effort. We hope these tips from STAVI, the industrial catering provider, have given our customers many useful suggestions.

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