This lightly fried shrimp is covered in a light spicy cream sauce and it is divine! The pickled vegetables pair with it perfectly. I have been working to figure out how to make their Happy Hour Shrimp for so long - and these are darn close! Make this as an appetizer OR have it as your dinner - we do all the time!
Ingredients: (yield 4 but easily customizable)
Pickling Vegetables:
1 red pepper thinly sliced
1 small red onion thinly sliced
1 cucumber cut in half lengthwise – deseeded with a spoon then cut to make them look like half-moons
1 cup of water
1/3 vinegar (I used white)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Directions for pickling: Add everything to a bowl, stir and let sit – make sure the veggies are submerged. If not add a little more water or stir every so often. Let this sit for at least an hour in the fridge.
Shrimp Spicy Sauce:
1 cup Mayo
¼ cup chili sauce (I use Heinz)
¼ teaspoon tabasco
½ teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon Sriracha
Pinch salt and pepper
Directions for sauce: Add all ingredients to a bowl - mix - then keep in the fridge until use. I put in a mason jar - and if I make a lot, I will use again!
Shrimp: (I make about 8 per person) Sauce is enough for 4 people with 8 shrimp at a lightly coated saucy-ness level.
Shrimp
Cornstarch (enough to coat all shrimp -1 to 2 cups depending)
Vegetable/Canola Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Paprika (add to cornstarch mixture)
Garlic Powder (add to cornstarch mixture)
Scallion for garnish
Lemon (half a lemon squeezed for brightness)
Directions for Shrimp:
1. Leaving the tails on - butterfly and devein shrimp. The easiest way is to start at the tail and a cut away from you until the shrimp is split in half.
2. Depending on how many shrimps you do - pour a cup or two of cornstarch onto a plate or bowl - then add teaspoon salt, some cracked pepper, some paprika and some garlic powder and mix (I just eyeball this - maybe a teaspoon each)
3. Dredge the shrimp in the cornstarch mixture - tap off any excess.
4. To a pan – add a lining of the oil to the bottom of the pan (shrimp should not be fully submerged) on medium heat until glossy – add shrimp in batches (do not overcrowd)
– once the bottom of the shrimp is light brown, flip - then let the other side get lightly crisp. Remove the shrimps to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately salt a little.
5. Once all the shrimp are fried – get a large bowl and put all the shrimp in there along with the vertically sliced scallion. Add a little squeeze of lemon – then begin to add a few spoonful’s of sauce (not all at once it’s a lot of sauce) and have two spoons or tongs to toss to coat – until all shrimp are covered. Add the amount of saucey-ness to your preference. Cover with more scallion.
6. Serve with the pickled vegetables!