Salt and Pepper Shrimp
Cantonese wok-fried whole shell-on shrimp that arrive at the table crackling and fragrant — the shells fried to a shattering crunch you eat whole, the flesh beneath barely cooked and sweet, buried under a confetti of garlic, scallion, and white pepper.
Ingredients
For 4 servings · tick what is ready
Use the scaled ingredient list. Steps and temperatures stay unchanged; use a larger pan or dish if needed. Seasonings to taste stay to taste.
How to make it
Pat the shrimp completely dry with kitchen paper — any surface moisture will cause the oil to spit violently and prevent the shell from crisping. Toss in the cornstarch to coat very lightly — just enough for a barely-there dusting, not a thick batter. Mix in half the salt, white pepper, and the five-spice.
Heat the oil in a wok over the highest possible heat to 190 C (375 F). Fry the shrimp in batches — 8–10 at a time — for exactly 60–75 seconds. The shells will sizzle aggressively and turn bright orange-red. Remove with a spider and drain on a rack. Do not over-fry — the shrimp continue cooking from residual heat.
Pour off most of the frying oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the wok. Return to high heat. Add the garlic, most of the spring onion, and sliced chilli. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the fried shrimp back to the wok and toss furiously for 30 seconds to coat with the aromatic mixture. Season with remaining salt and white pepper. Drizzle with sesame oil and toss once more. Serve immediately, garnished with remaining spring onion.
About this recipe
By ForkRecipe Kitchen · Source: ForkRecipe / FoodML and contributors. Recipe content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Serving count is an estimate; check quantities in the source recipe.