Salt and Pepper Mantis Shrimp
Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, mantis shrimp coated with salt and pepper, savory and mildly spicy, a classic Cantonese side dish for beer.
Ingredients
12 items- Mantis shrimp 500 g
- Cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) 2 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Ginger 3 slices
- Scallion 2
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 tbsp
- Salt 3 tbsp
- Cornstarch 3 tbsp
- Garlic 5 cloves
- Red chili peppers 2
- Oil as needed
- Five-spice powder 1/2 tsp
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Clean the mantis shrimp with a brush, trim off head tips, legs and tail spines. Use scissors to cut open the back to help absorption, then drain well.
Place shrimp in a large bowl, add cooking wine, light soy sauce, ginger slices and scallion sections. Toss well and marinate for 15 minutes, turning once.
For the salt and pepper: toast Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over low heat for 3 minutes until fragrant. Remove to cool, then grind with a rolling pin and mix with salt.
Drain the marinating liquid, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Put in a plastic bag, add cornstarch, seal the bag and shake to coat each shrimp thinly.
Heat enough oil in a wok to about 180°C (moderately high). Deep fry the shrimp for 3 minutes until golden. Remove; then reheat oil to 200°C, fry again for 30 seconds until very crispy. Drain.
Pour out most of the oil, leaving about 1 tbsp. Over low heat, sauté minced garlic, chili rings and chopped scallion until garlic turns light golden and fragrant.
Turn heat to high, add the fried shrimp back, sprinkle salt-pepper mix and five-spice powder. Stir-fry quickly for 1 minute to evenly coat.
Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with extra scallion and serve immediately.
Tips
Slitting the back of the shrimp and patting dry are key for flavor absorption and crispiness. Double frying ensures an ultra‑crunchy shell. Do not overheat the salt‑pepper mix when sautéing to avoid burning.
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