# ISO recipe: Crispy Shrimp Napoli



## callahan9119 (Dec 6, 2011)

Has anybody had this at the chain restaurant called Bravo?

Crispy Shrimp Napoli
Shrimp fried to a golden crisp with green onions and our savory lemon butter, charred tomato Napoli sauce












It's so friggin good and I can't find a copycat recipe anywhere. I normally hate chain restaurants, but this place is generally pretty nice....when they aren't overcooking my pork chops.

Has anybody who is an experienced cook had this and able to help me make it?


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## no mayonnaise (Dec 6, 2011)

Napoli is just marinara.  Char the tomatoes over an open flame if you have a gas stove or under the broiler if you don't.  Lemon butter sauce, I mean, it's lemon, butter, maybe some garlic.  And fried shrimp.  I haven't ever heard of this restaurant but I'm sure you could come up with something similar based on that.


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## callahan9119 (Dec 6, 2011)

If I could I wouldn't be asking here. I don't even know what kind of breadcrumbs they are using, very light a delicate. Why I was asking if anybody here had had it.


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## Dawgluver (Dec 6, 2011)

callahan9119 said:
			
		

> If I could I wouldn't be asking here. I don't even know what kind of breadcrumbs they are using, very light a delicate. Why I was asking if anybody here had had it.



Light and delicate crumbs would probably be Panko.  Can you ask the restaurant?  They might even have a crumb seasoning they sell.  I've found that restaurants are usually pleased to share their recipes or secrets.  Or they might sell you a small bag of their seasoning mix.  Doesn't hurt to ask.


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## callahan9119 (Dec 6, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Light and delicate crumbs would probably be Panko.  Can you ask the restaurant?  They might even have a crumb seasoning they sell.  I've found that restaurants are usually pleased to share their recipes or secrets.  Or they might sell you a small bag of their seasoning mix.  Doesn't hurt to ask.



I feel weird asking. Once I asked a waitress if she knew what oil was in their dipping oil. She told me it was extra virgin olive oil, but it clearly wasn't, which was why I asked in the first place.

I'd feel rude bothering a cook about a recipe on a busy Saturday night. I was thinking it might be panko, but it must be rolled or crushed. If shrimp wasn't so expensive I would be less concerned about experimenting too much.

I'm not very good with sauces, I've only just now pretty much mastered a roux. I was raised on pizza, chicken patties, overcooked "shake and bake" chicken and instant potatoes. I'm getting to be a pretty good cook, but not quite able yet to whip up a lemon butter and charred tomato sauce off the top of my head.


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## Dawgluver (Dec 6, 2011)

We've befriended all our fave chefs in our small town, and elsewhere, and they're always happy to share.  Maybe go on a not so busy night?  Check out the roasted tomato thread here. 

The waitstaff often have the recipes too, or at least know the ingredients.  Sorry your waitress wasn't so savvy.


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## no mayonnaise (Dec 7, 2011)

A marinara sauce is just tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, onion (sometimes), and maybe some herbs like oregano or basil.  It's a really basic sauce, and my best guess is that they are using charred tomatoes for their marinara.  A lemon butter sauce is easy too, just melt unsalted butter and add lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  They may have more of a beurre-blanc style, where they whisk cold butter a little at a time into the hot lemon juice to keep the sauce from breaking.  There may or may not be reduced white wine or cream.  The shrimp are probably tempura or coated with panko.  Hard to say--I've never tried it.  These are just my guesses, and how I would approach the dish then I'd make necessary changes after I tried the results.


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## mallen448002 (Jul 14, 2012)

*Crispy Shrimp from a former employee*

I used to work at Bravo as a server, and I have tried this recipe a few times for the shrimp. I have never made the sauce.

Peel, devein, and butterfly your shrimp. I prefer the 21-30 ct. size or maybe the next smaller even. Soak them in egg for a few minutes.

Toss the shrimp in *rice flour*, and flash fry (20 sec.) in a deep fryer. 

Remove from oil, and saute in nonstick pan over med-high with some oil or butter, and parmesean cheese for 2-3 minutes. Finish with green onions cut on a bias, more parm, lemon, and the sauce of your choice. I belive the sauce is basically broiled tomatoes pureed with garlic, onions, herbs, and olive oil. Enjoy!!


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## Addie (Jul 14, 2012)

Welcome to DC mallen. Thanks for coming to the rescue. No one thought of rice flour. I know I certainly didn't.

When soaking the shrimp in egg, do you mean a whole egg or just the whites? 

I am also confused about adding the parm cheese. Add it right to the pan? Or to the shrimp after you have removed it from the pan? The way you have written the recipe it sounds like you add the parm cheese, green onions, more parm, lemon juice and a sauce of the cooks choice directly into the saute pan with the shrimp.  

I am totally confused now. I would love to make this, but I am lost. Please help!


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jul 14, 2012)

I have no comment about the sauce, but I've often faced cooking crispy shrimp in Asian recipes.

I suggest making a batter of egg white plus cornstarch. In my Asian recipes the batter is often augmented by Asian ingredients, but the fundamental crispiness can be achieved by the egg white plus cornstarch batter alone.

One time I took a bunch of shrimp and made several different batters and just cooked them up, tasting each as I judged how my batters compared. I suggest you should do the same.


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## bluegirl (Dec 6, 2012)

*Crispy Shrimp Recipe*

Here's my version of the recipe:

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and butterflied 
1 cup panko breadcrumbs 
1 egg, beaten 
1/4c milk 
vegetable oil, for frying 

Sauce: 
2 cloves garlic, finely minced 
2T extra virgin olive oil 
1/4c white wine (optional)
1/2c fire roasted tomatoes (you can find these in a can!) 
1/2t dried oregano (or italian herbs) 
1/4c freshly grated parmesan cheese 
1/4c half and half (or cream) 
1 lemon, halved 
salt and pepper 
1 bunch green onions, sliced 

Prepare the sauce by heating olive oil in a large skillet on med heat. Add garlic and sautee for 1 minute. Add white wine, oregano and tomatoes. Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese and cream, simmer on LOW for few minutes longer while you fry the shrimp. Just before serving, whisk in the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

To butterfly shrimp, run a sharp paring knife along the outer curve of the shrimp, cutting 2/3 of the way through the shrimp. 
Coat shrimp in a mixture of egg and milk, then toss in panko breadcrumbs. Heat 1/4" of oil in a large frying pan on med-high. Toss in shrimp and cook until crispy- 3-5 minutes, turning once. Remove shrimp to a paper towel lined plate before serving. 

To serve, put a few generous spoonfuls of the sauce on a plate. Add shrimp and sprinkle sliced green onion on the top. Serve immediately with more slices of lemon on the side.
Serves 4.

Alternatively, you can use a mixture of 2 parts AP flour to 1 part cornstarch to coat your shrimp before frying. Dip shrimp in egg mixture (as directed above) then into flour/cornstarch mixture (instead of panko) and fry. This will make a light, crispy coating on the shrimp as well.


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## Kylie1969 (Dec 7, 2012)

That sounds amazing, thanks so much for sharing


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## Kylie1969 (Dec 7, 2012)

Welcome to DC 



mallen448002 said:


> I used to work at Bravo as a server, and I have tried this recipe a few times for the shrimp. I have never made the sauce.
> 
> Peel, devein, and butterfly your shrimp. I prefer the 21-30 ct. size or maybe the next smaller even. Soak them in egg for a few minutes.
> 
> ...


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