Tôm Rang Muối - Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Presented here with just the fried garlic

Difficulty: Hooker Easy

In the picture above, it is hybrid of the Chinese and Vietnamese version.  I copied The Yummy House version with using a  wheat starch to help the shrimp get a nice crunch to it.  Normally the shrimp is left intact, with the pointy part of the head and tail snipped off and the legs trimmed.  Since my son loves shrimp, I made this recipe without the shell and head.

1/2 lb large shrimp, headless, peeled and deveined, with tail on
wheat starch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
oil for frying

optional:

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch of dried pepper flakes

Wash the shrimp in really cold water.  Add ice to tighten up the shrimp.  While the shrimp is sitting on ice, mix together the wheat starch, salt, and pepper.  Coat each shrimp with the dry mixture.  (If you want a thick coating, dip the shrimp in an egg white wash before the wheat starch coating.)  Allow the shrimp to sit in the wheat starch mixture while you heat up a 1-qt (or slightly larger) saucepan with some oil.  You want enough oil to at least come half way up the shrimp when you cook them.  You want the oil to be hot when you start frying, otherwise your food will be greasy.  Fry the shrimp about 2-3 minutes on each side.  You looking for a nice golden color.  Placed them on paper to blot off the excess oil.

In a pan, heat up 1 tsp of oil.  Add the minced garlic, and chopped cilantro.  Stir well until the two have a very nice fragrance.  Add the pinch of pepper flakes.  Toss in the shrimp at the end.