Salt & Pepper Shrimp (Chinese New Year)
Spicy salt and pepper shrimp makes an excellent appetizer or main course.
Yield
4 servingsPrep
10 minCook
10 minReady
20 minIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pound |
shrimp
about 25, head removed, deveined, but not shelled |
|
| 3 | tablespoons |
tapioca starch
or cornstarch, as needed |
* |
| 1 | teaspoon |
sea salt
or kosher salt |
|
| ¾ | teaspoon |
peppercorns
freshly ground black, white, or Szechuan |
|
| 4 | cups |
vegetable oil
for deep-frying |
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 453.6 | g |
shrimp
about 25, head removed, deveined, but not shelled |
|
| 45 | ml |
tapioca starch
or cornstarch, as needed |
* |
| 5 | ml |
sea salt
or kosher salt |
|
| 3.8 | ml |
peppercorns
freshly ground black, white, or Szechuan |
|
| 946 | ml |
vegetable oil
for deep-frying |
|
Directions
Soak the shrimp in warm, lightly salted water for 5 minutes.
Rinse in cold water, drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Lightly coat the shrimp with the tapioca starch or cornstarch.
In a small bowl, mix the salt with the freshly ground peppercorns and set aside.
Heat the oil to 360 degrees Fahrenheit in a deep fat fryer, heavy saucepan with deep sides or a second wok (it is easiest not to deep-fry and stir-fry the shrimp in the same wok).
Carefully add the shrimp to the hot oil, 4 to 5 at a time, and deep-fry until they turn bright orange (about 40 seconds).
Make sure the temperature does not fall below 350℉ (180℃) Fahrenheit.
Carefully remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Continue deep-frying the remainder of the shrimp.
Heat a wok on medium heat.
Add the salt and pepper mixture and the deep-fried shrimp.
Stir-fry briefly to coat the shrimp in the mixture (20 to 30 seconds).
Serve hot.
