Salt and Pepper Shrimp 鹽酥蝦

This dish truly is a showstopper. Served with or without the head. Either way, don't let this easy recipe fool you. This aromatic crunchy shrimp dish serves up a big bold punch of flavor. It's a street food staple and a must at Chinese wedding banquets. Enjoy with a bowl of rice or just a simple glass of beer. I found that this dish is always best shared with friends.

- YU TSAI

by YU TSAI SERVES  4 TO 6 PREP TIME  15 MIN COOKS IN  15 MIN DIFFICULTY  EASY

photo by Yu Tsai

Ingredients

1 lb (450g) fresh shrimp with shell and head optional: deveined, legs and tail spur trimmed

1/2 cup peanut oil

2 tablespoons rice wine

4 tablespoons potato starch

2 thumbs ginger finely chopped

6 cloves garlic minced

2 fresh red chilies chopped (deseed if you don't want it too spicy)

2 stalks scallions chopped

coriander for garnish

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Clean shrimp: devein, legs and tail spur trimmedand pad dry.

  2. Mix potato starch with 1 teaspoon black pepper and 3/4 teaspoon of salt.

  3. Dip shrimp into pepper and salt mixture.

  4. Heat peanut oil on high and cook the shrimp on each side for 30 seconds. Be careful not to over cook the shrimp.

    – Note: Place the shrimp flat on your frying pan. May take two or three separate times to cook all the shrimp depending on the size of pan.

  5. Place the cooked shrimp on paper towels to drain the oil.

  6. Add sea salt to taste.

  7. Heat oil in pan on medium heat. Fragrant the garlic until lightly brown along with ginger and red chili peppers. Be careful not to burn them. Remove when the garlic is golden brown.

  8. Set fragrant garlic aside on paper towel to drain oil.

  9. Add shrimps back into the pan.

  10. Add rice wine along the edge of the wok. Stir and reduce until shrimp are red and the dish sauce is dry.

  11. Turn off the heat, add fragrant garlic and scallions. Stir, mix and ready to serve.

This dish can be served as a main dish or an appetizer.

DIPPING SPICES:

1 tablespoon white peppercorn

1/2 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (red or green)

1/2 tablespoon crush sea salt

a pinch of Chinese 5 spices

  1. In small pot over low to medium heat, toast Sichuan peppercorns for about 10 to 12 minutes. Do not burn them. Set aside to cool.

  2. Roast the sea salt until it changes color. Set aside to cool.

  3. Combine peppercorn and roasted sea salt into a mortar and grind the peppercorns and mixture into a powder.

Recommended Recipes

Taiwanese Pan-Fried Pork Chops 煎豬排

Salt Crusted Baked Red Snapper 鹽山烤魚