Salt and Pepper Shrimp
This Salt and Pepper Shrimp recipe features succulent shrimp seasoned with a homemade salt and pepper mixture, perfect for a delicious Cantonese dish.
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Fish and Seafood
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 servings
Calories 312 kcal
small pot
spice grinder
Mortar and pestle
cast-iron skillet
Wok
Salt and Pepper Mixture
- 2 parts whole peppercorns
- 1 part sea salt
Rest of the Dish
- 1 pound large shrimp 450g; shells on and deveined, with or without heads
- 3 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
- ⅓ cup oil for shallow frying
- salt and pepper mixture to taste
- 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 long hot green or red pepper thinly sliced
Making the Salt and Pepper Mixture
In a small pot over medium low heat, dry roast the whole peppercorns of your choice for 15 minutes, until very fragrant. Take care not to burn them, adjusting the heat as needed. Cool completely and use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind the peppercorns down to a powder.
In the same pot over medium heat, dry roast the salt until it turns slightly yellow in color. Let it cool and combine it with the ground pepper. You now have your own authentic salt and pepper powder.
Preparing the Dish
Rinse the shrimp and pat them thoroughly dry with a paper towel. Dredge them in potato starch or cornstarch.
Heat the oil in a small cast iron skillet to 375 degrees. Quickly lay the shrimp in the oil with about an inch of space in between each shrimp, and fry the shrimp in batches, cooking each side for 30 seconds. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate, and sprinkle with salt and pepper powder to taste.
In the wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Fry the garlic until just golden brown, and set aside to drain on a paper towel lined plate.
Remove any excess oil from the wok, so there's only a tablespoon or so left. Add the peppers to the wok. Turn off the heat, and add the garlic back to the wok, stir-frying everything together for a minute. Add the shrimp to the wok, and gently toss everything for 10 seconds, sprinkling over a bit more of your salt and pepper mixture. Serve!
Serving: 1servingCalories: 312kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 24gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 286mgSodium: 902mgPotassium: 109mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 173mgIron: 2.5mg
Keyword asian cuisine, Cantonese, Easy Recipe, Salt and Pepper Shrimp, seafood, shrimp