Firecracker Shrimp

Ingredients

• Peanut oil, for frying
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger root
• 1 dash fish sauce
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 1/2 pounds (26 to 30 count) white shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• Sesame seeds, for garnish
• Scallions, sliced on a bias, for garnish
• 1 red Thai chile pepper, sliced, for garnish
• Torn fresh cilantro, for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, ground, optional
• Rice, and steamed vegetables, for serving, optional
• Steps to Make It
• Gather the ingredients.
• Add enough peanut oil to a countertop deep fryer or a large, heavy-bottomed pot so that there is 3-inches worth of oil. Preheat to 360 F.
• Combine the honey, sriracha, ginger, fish sauce, and lemon juice in a large, wide mixing bowl.
• Put the shrimp and potato starch into a gallon zip-close freezer bag and seal. Gently shake and turn the bag to thoroughly coat the shrimp in the potato starch.
• In two batches (most likely, depending on the size of your setup), fry the shrimp until they turn pink, and the starch coating becomes crisp and golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Remove the shrimp and shake off the excess oil.
• Toss the hot, fried shrimp in the sauce. Garnish with the sesame seeds, sliced scallions, chile pepper, cilantro, and a sprinkle of the Szechuan pepper, if using.
• Serve with rice and perhaps a steamed vegetable. Enjoy!
• Tips
• When buying shrimp, there are a few things to know:
• The “count” is really about size. The smaller the number, the larger the shrimp. For example, 26 to 30 count means that one pound contains between 26 and 30 shrimp. It’s a good bite-size shrimp for this recipe.
• With that many shrimp per pound, buying them peeled and deveined will save a lot of time and effort.
• Frozen shrimp is a great option since most fresh shrimp has previously been frozen anyway. Defrost the shrimp per the package instructions before using.