Bang Bang Shrimp

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (5-quart minimum)
• •Deep-fry or instant-read thermometer
• •Spider strainer or slotted spoon
• •Wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the sauce

   Whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, rice vinegar, and honey in a medium bowl until completely smooth. Taste it. The sauce should be creamy with a sweet front note that gives way to building heat. Adjust sriracha if you want more fire, honey if you want more sweetness. Set aside at room temperature.

   Thai sweet chili sauce is the backbone here. Look for Mae Ploy or similar brands in the Asian foods aisle. The sauce combines sweet with mild chili heat and has a slightly sticky, jam-like consistency.
2. 2

   Dry the shrimp thoroughly

   Pat your shrimp aggressively dry with paper towels. Moisture is the enemy of crispness. The shrimp should feel nearly tacky to the touch, not slick. Spread them on a paper towel-lined plate and refrigerate uncovered for ten minutes if you have time. This extra step ensures the coating adheres properly.

   Wet shrimp create steam pockets between the coating and the flesh. Steam means soggy coating. There is no shortcut around this step.
3. 3

   Season the cornstarch

   Combine the cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl or baking dish. Whisk until evenly distributed. White pepper provides heat without the visible black specks, keeping the coating pale and letting the golden fry color shine through.

4. 4

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to a depth of two inches. Heat over medium-high until a deep-fry thermometer reads 375°F. This takes longer than you expect, usually eight to ten minutes. Do not rush it. Oil that isn't hot enough will produce greasy, limp shrimp.

   No thermometer? Drop a pinch of cornstarch into the oil. At 375°F it will sizzle immediately and float to the surface. If it sinks and sits, your oil isn't ready.
5. 5

   Coat the shrimp

   Working in batches, toss the shrimp in the seasoned cornstarch, pressing gently to ensure complete coverage. Shake off excess, then transfer to a wire rack. The coating should be thin and even, not clumpy. Each shrimp needs its own space on the rack; piled shrimp will steam and shed their coating.

6. 6

   Fry until golden

   Carefully lower eight to ten shrimp into the hot oil, one at a time to prevent sticking. Fry for two to three minutes, turning once with a spider strainer, until the shrimp are deeply golden and the coating looks almost lacy with tiny bubbles. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Return oil to 375°F between batches.

   Overcrowding drops the oil temperature and causes steaming instead of frying. Work in small batches even if it takes longer. Patience here pays off in every bite.
7. 7

   Toss and serve immediately

   The moment your last batch comes out of the oil, move quickly. Add all the hot shrimp to the bowl of sauce and toss gently but thoroughly, coating every piece. The shrimp will absorb some sauce and stay crisp for about three minutes. After that, the coating begins to soften. Pile onto shredded lettuce, scatter with scallions and sesame seeds, and get it to the table.

Chef Tips

• •Sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and rice vinegar are no longer specialty items. You'll find them in any decent grocery store, usually in the Asian foods section. Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce has the best balance of sweetness and heat. Huy Fong makes the iconic sriracha with the rooster on the bottle. These pantry staples keep for months and open doors to dozens of other recipes.
• •If you can't find sweet chili sauce, combine three tablespoons of apricot preserves with one minced garlic clove and a pinch of red pepper flakes. It won't be identical, but it gets the job done.
• •For a lighter version, substitute Greek yogurt for half the mayonnaise. The tang actually improves the sauce, though purists may disagree.
• •Save and strain your frying oil after it cools. Stored in a sealed container in a cool, dark place, it's good for two or three more uses. This makes frequent frying economical.
• •A mandoline makes quick work of the scallion bias cuts. Those elegant diagonal slices look professional and distribute more evenly across the platter.

Advance Preparation

• •The sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated. It actually improves as the flavors meld. Bring to room temperature before tossing with hot shrimp.
• •Shrimp can be peeled, deveined, and dried up to 8 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated on a paper towel-lined plate, uncovered.
• •The seasoned cornstarch mixture can be prepared days in advance and stored in an airtight container.
• •The actual frying must happen just before serving. There is no way around this. A host juggling multiple dishes should fry the shrimp last, while guests are enjoying their first drinks.
• •For larger parties, keep batches warm on a wire rack in a 200°F oven for up to 10 minutes, then toss with sauce at the very end. Not ideal, but functional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)