Originating from Cantonese cuisine, salt and pepper shrimp is a classic dish which looks as good as it tastes. Although prawns are the classic protein to use, there are many iterations of the dish with chicken, meat or even tofu and paneer as the protein of choice. The layer of starch or batter creates a crispy coating when fried for a crunchy exterior and soft centre.
The main seasoning and reason behind the name is a mixture of ground spices known as Jiao Yan which in Chinese translates to peppery salt. The traditional mix includes things like star anise and Sichuan pepper, but since these ingredients are not always readily available, the recipe below is a slightly easier version, so you can recreate the restaurant magic at home.
Ingredients
- 500 gms prawns
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 5-6 cornflour
- 3-4 red chillies
- 3 spring onions
- 6-7 cloves of garlic
- 2 inches ginger
- Oil to fry
Method
- Start by deveining and cleaning your prawns. Make a small incision on the back and pull out the black vein. Remove the head and rinse in water.
- Add the peppercorns and salt to a mortar and pestle and pound it down to a powder. You can use powdered versions, but they won’t have the same texture.
- Pour some soy sauce over the prawns and let them marinate for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the ginger and garlic, slice the spring onions and slit the chillies on a diagonal.
- Dip each prawn in cornflour and ensure it’s evenly coated and then fry it in hot oil for 5-6 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Set the prawns aside and add the garlic, ginger and chillies to the oil, cook for a few minutes until the garlic starts to brown.
- Add the prawns back to the pan, sprinkle with a few teaspoons of the salt and pepper mixture and toss it well.
- In the last 30 seconds stir the spring onions through the dish and then serve hot.
