Chinese cuisine

Easy

Crispy Golden Shrimp | Chef John’s Cooking Class

Chef John Zhang

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This Golden Shrimp is a delicious culinary specialty. It is a nice combination of Chinese and western cuisine. It is fresh, juicy, and not greasy when you eat it. Crunchy outside, juicy and soft inside.

Recipe

PRE TIME: 55 min

COOKING TIME: 25 min

TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 20 min

2 SERVING

Ingredients:

6 Jumbo Tiger prawns
Marinade
1 tbsp. Shaoxing wine
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. White pepper
Coating
1 tbsp. Custard powder
2 tbsp. Corn starch
Frying
5 Large Egg white
3 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 qt. Cooking oil

Directions:

Prep the Prawns: De-vein the shrimp as per the video. Open the shrimp, and make sure it doesn’t curl up so it keeps its shape. Make a couple of slits on the shrimp’s underside. Make them shallow, just enough to release the tension in the shrimp’s muscles.

Marinate: Put the shrimp into a bowl and season it. Add salt, white pepper, and cooking wine. You only need to marinate for a few minutes, as the shrimp isn’t very big.

Prepare the Coating: Combine cornstarch and custard powder in a bowl.

Coat the Prawns: Dip the shrimp into the powder, and roll it gently. After you’ve coated the shrimp, put it to the side.

Prepare the Egg White Coating: Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in one direction until frothy. Increase speed to incorporate more air.

Meringue Dip: Hold each shrimp by the tail and dip into the meringue, ensuring all but the tail is evenly coated.

Panko Roll: Gently roll the meringue-coated shrimp in panko bread crumbs. Ensure an even coat without pressing too hard.

Cold Oil Frying: Place the shrimp directly into a cold oil pan. They should float, helping them retain their shape.

Oil temperature is critical for the success of this dish. It’s a low to medium heat at a temperature of about 300 °F/150 °C. If it’s too high it’ll cook the outside and leave the inside uncooked. Slowly fry the shrimp until it’s done for about 10-15 minutes.

Drain: Now, transfer the shrimp to a paper towel-lined baking sheet for immediate draining and removal of excess surface oil after frying. Then, replace the paper towel with parchment paper and put it into the oven at 350 °F/180 °C.

Oven Crisp: If your oven is preheated to 350 °F/180 °C, it should only take 8-10 minutes. This will help to remove any excess oil in the fried shrimp and make the crust extra crunchy.

Once it’s golden, it’s time to take it out of the oven. It’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. You can season it with salt and pepper to taste or eat it with some ketchup.