Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Botch

 
I've seen this dish on Chinese menus all my life, but I've never ordered it as it sounds so boring.  Last weekend one of the PBS cooking shows featured the dish two ways: first, at a restaurant on a grill, and then they took it to their "lab" and developed a deep-fried version.  I don't deep-fry, and have an Egg, so...
 
Some unusual features in this dish.  First, the "pepper" is actually Sezchuan peppercorns, something I've never worked with (nor could find, because my local Asian grocery sells them as "Chinese prickly ash").  These things are dry-toasted, then ground in a mortar or spice grinder; they aren't actually hot, but rather have an interesting pungent flavor and leave the mouth "tingling", rather than burning.  The second odd thing is that the shrimp are cooked very hot, and the shells are (supposed to) get really crispy, and are eaten whole, head, shells and all.  I couldn't find whole shrimp locally, but got some frozen, uncooked, unshelled but deveined, and that was okay this first time.  
 
I thawed the shrimp, marinated for 15 minutes in soy sauce (the recipes called for just brine), then drained, dried, and tossed with peanut oil and the sechuan pepper powder.  Threw them on a hot grill, and kept tossing (need to work on my shrimp-flipping with tongs).  The soy sauce stained them a bit dark, so I couldn't go by the shrimp turning pink to know they were cooked (will try brine next time).  They were dark and the shells beginning to pull away, so I assumed they were done and took them off, tossed with Thai pepper, scallion and parsley, and plated up.
 
I didn't care for the shell texture, don't know if they weren't cooked enough or I just don't like them.  The flavor was fantastic, and these were easily the juiciest shrimp I've ever made.  I still have half a pound of these shrimp in the freezer, will try again with a hotter fire, without the soy, and try to get the shells crispier.  If that doesn't work I'll do this dish again with peeled shrimp; it is a keeper otherwise.  

gmac

Looks awesome. I doubt I could ever get used to eating the shells.  Not sure where to find Szechuan peppercorns around here but I think I need to find some. 

Bustersdad

When we order this at the restaurant, we suck on the shrimp to get the flavor and then peel the shell off to eat the shimp...we don't eat the shell.

HeavyG

I've had that style of shrimp with shell cooked in the deep fry and they were pretty good. I think the frying in hot oil is important to really getting the shells crisped properly.

Mickey

Like you, why order. But will next time.  Nice cook

Stormbringer

Nice cook. I've done the same thing but with squid, often referred to as jill yuen squid (which means salt and pepper squid).



These were wok fried on a 7kw wok burner in our kitchen, but I guess you could achieve the same thing with a wok on a MM.

gmac

Stormbringer said:

Nice cook. I've done the same thing but with squid, often referred to as jill yuen squid (which means salt and pepper squid).



These were wok fried on a 7kw wok burner in our kitchen, but I guess you could achieve the same thing with a wok on a MM.

I could seriously get behind a plate of that. I love squid but again, hard to find around here. I need to move somewhere closer to an ocean. 

Botch

@gmac, does Mt Elgin or any nearby city have a Chinatown?  I've only recently discovered ours in Salt Lake City, and the fresh seafood choices are incredible.  

Canugghead

Bustersdad said:

When we order this at the restaurant, we suck on the shrimp to get the flavor and then peel the shell off to eat the shimp...we don't eat the shell.

I peel and chew the shell to extract maximum flavour, then spit, ewww! then move on to eat the rest 

gmac

Botch said:

@gmac, does Mt Elgin or any nearby city have a Chinatown?  I've only recently discovered ours in Salt Lake City, and the fresh seafood choices are incredible.  

@Botch  Mt Elgin doesn't even have a Chinese person . We are only about 200 people. But we have lots of Dutch so if you want salted licorice I can hook you up. 

London on probably has something, it's about an hr away once you drive through traffic. I will have to give it a look next time I'm there.