Fried Shrimp

Recipe by: Hiroko Shimbo | from The Japanese Kitchen: 250 Recipes in a Traditional Spirit

Cookstr

Course: Hot Appetizer, Main Course

Total Time: Under 30 Minutes

Skill Level: Moderate

Cost: Splurge

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

When I was a child, ebifurai was my favorite dish at restaurants called yoshoku-ya, which specialize in “Japanized” Western dishes. The menus at these restaurants include such adopted dishes as croquettes, beef stew, curry, fried shrimp, fried oysters, and steak. Yoshoku-ya originated at the end of the nineteenth century, when Japan opened the country to foreign trade after almost three hundred years of isolation. During this period, new ideas, science, technology, and cuisine flooded into Japan from Western countries.

Fried shrimp came along with the tide. It is a dish in which impressively large, fresh shrimp are cooked crisp with a panko breadcrumb coating. The dish is served with ample shredded cabbage and a mayonnaise sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

8 large shrimp, in their shells, with heads attached, each about 5 ounces in weight and 7 inches from head to tail
Salt
Ground black pepper
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs thoroughly beaten
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
4 cups finely shredded head cabbage
1 tomato, cut into wedges
1 Japanese or salad cucumber, sliced thin crosswise
Mayonnaise sauce

Directions

Peel the shrimp, leaving their heads and tails attached. Cut off the very ends of the tails, about 1/8 inch, since this part contains water. Briefly rinse the shrimp in cold water. Drain the shrimp, and wipe them dry with a paper towel. Make a very shallow lengthwise cut on the back of each shrimp, and devein it. Make several shallow diagonal transverse cuts on the belly side, and bend the head and tail back to stretch the belly side. This prevents the shrimp from curling during cooking. Lightly salt and pepper the shrimp. Put the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls. Dust each shrimp with flour, and coat it with egg. Return the shrimp to the flour, dip it into the egg again, and then coat it with the breadcrumbs.

In a deep skillet, heat 3 inches oil to 330 degrees F. Cook the shrimp one or two at a time for about 3 to 4 minutes. At the end of the cooking, increase the heat to 355 degrees F to achieve a light golden color and crisp texture. Drain the shrimp on a rack.

Serve the shrimp hot, with cabbage, tomato, and cucumber, with mayonnaise sauce in a saucer on the side.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Nutritional information is based on 1/8 teaspoon added salt per serving and does not include Mayonnaise Sauce. For nutritional information on Mayonnaise Sauce, please follow the link above.

Calories 380kcal (19%)

Calcium 81mg (8%)

Vitamin C 32mg (53%)

Vitamin A 63mcg RAE (2%)

Potassium 384mg

Magnesium 34mg

Protein 9g

Sugar 5g

Fiber 3g

Total Carbohydrate 17g

Cholesterol 127mg (42%)

Sodium 427mg (18%)