Why go to Chinese restaurant for salt-and-pepper shrimp if you can easily make it at home? The dish is surprisingly easy to make and so versatile: You can serve it as a main course, an appetizer, or as a finger food at parties. You can either eat the shrimp whole with its shells (the traditional Chinese way) or you can easily peel the shrimp — but only after you suck in all the flavors on the shells! :-).
The shrimp is first deep-fried for crispiness and then stir-fried with seasonings for flavor. If you are uncertain about what temperature the oil is, I typically use a digital cooking thermometer to check.
Salt and Pepper Shrimp (鹽酥蝦 yán sū xiā)
Buy shrimp with shells on. More authentic versions use shrimp with heads on. This is a quick "dry dish". Use only minimal oil when stir-frying and be wary of overcooking, which will soften the shells too much.
Ingredients
- shrimp - 10 oz (300g), large, shells on, with or without heads, deveined
- cornstarch - 2 tablespoons
- oil - for deep-frying, 2 cups
- Aromatics
- scallion - 2, chopped
- garlic - 2 tablespoons (about 5 to 6 cloves, finely chopped)
- Jalapeño pepper - or red chili, 1 or 2, thinly sliced
- oil - for stir-frying, 1 to 1.5 tablespoons
- Seasoning
- salt - 1/2 teaspoon
- pepper - white, black, or Sichuan peppercorns, 1 teaspoon
Instructions
Video is also provided at the top of this article to demonstrate the steps.
- Clean shrimp: Using kitchen scissors, cut off the sharp edges on heads, trim claws, cut along the backs of shrimp through shells and remove veins. [see video above at 0:04]
- Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towel thoroughly to prevent oil splashing when deep-frying. [0:15]
- Place shrimp in a bowl. Cover with cornstarch and toss to coat the shrimp evenly. [0:19]
- Heat 2 cups of oil in a wok over high heat until 375F (190C). Add shrimp carefully into the oil. Gently separate the shrimp from clumping and deep fry for only 50 seconds. Remove shrimp using a strainer, place on a plate lined with paper towels. [0:27]
- Optional: If you like your shrimp even crispier, wait for the remaining oil to reach to 375F (190C) again. Add back the shrimp to the wok and deep fry for 10 seconds. Remove the shrimp promptly.
- In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic, scallions, and jalapeño peppers until fragrant. If it appears too dry, add a bit more oil, about half tablespoon. [0:44]
- Turn heat to high. Add shrimp. Give it a quick stir. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss briefly for 10 seconds and transfer to a serving plate immediately! [1:00]
Salt-and-Pepper Shrimp accompanied with Smashed Cucumbers - a delicious pair!
Allergens
