American Chinese / Cantonese Recipe

Shrimp with Lobster Sauce

Shrimp with lobster sauce is a shrimp dish in a pale savory sauce with egg ribbons, garlic, ginger, and sometimes ground pork.

Recipe at a glance

PurposeHigh-frequency Chinese restaurant menu dish
Cuisine or formatAmerican Chinese / Cantonese
Menu variation ruleProtein may be adjusted without creating a separate recipe family.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb shrimp
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 oz ground pork, optional
  • 1 cup stock
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • White pepper
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch slurry
  • Scallions

Method

  1. Stir-fry shrimp briefly and remove.
  2. Cook pork if using.
  3. Add ginger and garlic.
  4. Add stock, soy sauce, and white pepper.
  5. Return shrimp.
  6. Thicken lightly with cornstarch slurry.
  7. Drizzle beaten egg into the sauce and finish with scallions.

Menu-literacy notes

  • The dish usually does not contain lobster.
  • The name refers to a Cantonese-style sauce historically associated with lobster.
  • Contains shellfish and often egg; some versions include pork.

Variations and substitutions

  • For chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, tofu, or mixed seafood variants, keep the same sauce logic and adjust the cooking time for the protein.
  • For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, broth, wrappers, cooking wine, and shared wok or fryer use.
  • For takeout-style dishes, sauce texture matters: the sauce should coat the food rather than become a thin soup.

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