To make delicious drunken shrimp, start with the highest quality sword shrimp. Select wild, fresh shrimp with intact heads, firm shells, and a springy body. Check the color—fresh shrimp should look vibrant. Avoid shrimp that are soft or pale. Sword shrimp heads don’t darken easily, so you don’t need preservatives, making them a safer choice.

First, prepare the marinade for the shrimp. Gather the Chinese herbs: dried red dates, angelica root, astragalus root, ligusticum root, and Shaoxing wine to add fragrance. Cut a slit in each red date with scissors to help release the flavor. Bring water to a boil, then add the herbs.

Add astragalus root first, then ligusticum root, and then the red dates.

Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the angelica root—add it later to prevent bitterness from overcooking. Finally, add the goji berries; a quick simmer is enough to release their flavor.

Season with salt to taste. Once the flavors have developed, turn off the heat. Strain the broth and let it cool. Once cooled, pour it into another container.

Add Shaoxing wine to the cooled broth. If you prefer a stronger wine flavor, add more. Use a vacuum sealer if available, then refrigerate. Wait until the marinade is thoroughly chilled before proceeding. Once the marinade is cold, begin thawing the sword shrimp.

After thawing, rinse the sword shrimp briefly under water. Bring a pot of water to a boil to blanch the shrimp. Be sure to add salt to the water—proper seasoning brings out the shrimp’s flavor.

Once the water is boiling, add the sword shrimp. Cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let sit for one minute before removing the shrimp.

When the shrimp tails curl toward the heads, they are cooked. Immediately transfer the shrimp to the chilled marinade to cool rapidly. This helps the shrimp absorb the flavors. Make sure the shrimp are fully submerged in the marinade.

If you have a vacuum sealer, vacuum seal the shrimp in the marinade to help them absorb more flavor and stay fresh. Refrigerate the vacuum-sealed shrimp for two days to let the flavors develop. After two days, enjoy your finger-licking, flavorful Shaoxing drunken shrimp.