Wok-Tossed, Twice-Cooked

I make this dish all the time with soft shell crabs, but it is equally good with shrimp. For the crab version, I skip the salt rub and simply cut my crabs in half before dipping in the egg white. The sauce recipe came to me from my pal Vikram, who uses it all the time on all manners of fried seafood in his house in Bangalore. Whether you make this recipe with shrimp or soft shells, you’ll love it.

Crispy Salt & Pepper Prawns

Ingredients

2 lb shrimp
3 T kosher salt
1 c Corn starch
4 c Peanut Oil
12 scallions
1 T sea salt
1 T black pepper
2 T sugar
5 dried red chiles

For the Dipping Sauce

1/2 c thinly shaved shallots
1 c thinly sliced red and green hot chilies-I like to use 2 red jalapenos, 4 serranos, and a piece of a habanero to round out the heat. You can also use small read and green Thai chilies.
1/2 c soy sauce
1/3 c chicken stock
3 tbsp Chinese rice wine or sake
3 T sugar
2 T minced ginger
3 clove thinly sliced garlic

Instructions

Peel and butterfly shrimp, leaving tail attached. Toss with salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Press in a dry towel to remove moisture. Heat peanut oil to 375 over high heat in a wok. Dip shrimp in egg whites, then dredge in cornstarch. Fry to crisp in 2 batches. Tip off the oil, leaving 2 T. behind, and increase the heat. When smoking, add the scallions, chiles, and shrimp. Toss to coat, adding the salt, pepper, and sugar as you rotate the food across the wok surface. For the sauce, merely combine all the ingredients. Toss and serve with the sauce.