# Salt and pepper shrimp



## cgood (Oct 20, 2006)

I'm not sure if I have this in the right category, because this is both an ethnic dish and seafood.
I am curious if anyone thinks that I would have to alter a recipe that is for salt and pepper shrimp for squid, because squid is what I'm going to use. 

2 pounds extra-large shrimp, shells on 
Peanut oil, for frying 
2 large eggs 
1 cup chilled club soda 
3 cups cornstarch 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 serrano chilies, sliced 
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish 
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce 
1 tablespoon sake 

With kitchen shears, cut through the shell of the shrimp down the back to the tail. Remove the vein and rinse them well. Butterfly the shrimp by cutting almost all the way through the shrimp with a knife. Pat dry and set aside. 

Heat 2 inches of peanut oil in a wok or deep skillet to 375 degrees F. 
While the oil is heating, whisk the eggs and club soda together in a large bowl. Whisk in 2 cups cornstarch making sure to get out any lumps. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream. Season generously with salt and pepper - remember it is called Salt and Pepper Shrimp! 
Put the remaining cornstarch on a platter and season it well with salt and pepper. Working in batches, dredge the shrimp in the cornstarch and shake off any excess. Dip the shrimp in the batter and let the excess batter drip off. Slide the shrimp into the hot oil and cook about 3 minutes until golden brown, turning them once during cooking. Remove and drain on paper towels. Scoop out any floating bits of batter from the oil, they will burn. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper while they're still hot and put them onto a serving platter. When all the shrimp have been cooked, carefully pour out all but 2 tablespoons oil into a safe container. Add the chilies, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Take the wok off the heat and pour in the soy sauce and sake. Cook for 1 minute, then pour this mixture over the fried shrimp. Garnish with cilantro.


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## ironchef (Oct 21, 2006)

For starters, you only want to cook the calamari for 1-2 minutes or else they will get tough. With that being said, depending on how much calamari you're cooking, you might want to cook them in two batches. That way, the temp. of the oil in the pan won't drop down too low and the calamari won't be as saturated as oil. Remember that battered shrimp and battered calamari both react differently with hot oil. You have a larger margin for error with shrimp so you'll have to adjust accordingly when using calamari.


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## auntdot (Oct 21, 2006)

What I would probably do is next time I made a batch of the shrimp, which sound really good (URP) and thanks for posting, reserve the oil.  Then some time after eating the shrimp would play with a few pieces of squid at a time. That way you can tweak the cooking time/method until you are satisfied.

Just an idea.  Take care.


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## cgood (Oct 21, 2006)

ironchef-I'm not gonna be using clamari, I'll be using squid, I am aware that the two are the same, and I don't know if you may already be making a note of that and just using the term calamari to refer to the pieces of squid.   But I know that I can get calamari from whole foods, I have a decent asian fish market nearby where I will be getting whole suid


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## cgood (Oct 21, 2006)

Sorry--.........market nearby where I am getting whole squid


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## cgood (Oct 21, 2006)

I've never cooked with either of the two anyways and appreciate your help and comments


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## cgood (Oct 21, 2006)

hmmm, spam eating capital of the world--are you from Hawaii?


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## BreezyCooking (Oct 21, 2006)

The only alteration I would make if using squid instead of shrimp would be to take it easy with the salt.  Remember, per the above recipe the shrimp are cooked with the shells on, so that's where most of the spices are going to end up.  With the squid, the flavorings will be going right onto all the meat.


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## Constance (Oct 21, 2006)

Love your recipe, Cgood! 
My husband is leaving early tomorrow for Mississippi to bring back shrimp and oysters. Our friend's friend has a brother who is a shrimper in Mississippi, and every year this time, when he comes home to visit, he takes orders and brings up a big refrigerated truck of shrimp and oysters. They are the 15-20 per lb size, and we get them for $4 a lb. Kim will help our friends de-head and bag them, which is a big job...one reason we get them so cheap. 
The oyster are shucked, and come in a 2 gallon container for $45. 

I can't wait...


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## cgood (Oct 23, 2006)

Hey, I put up pictures of the finished product, it turned out very well, I fried the squid twice though, to give it a crispier texture, and I didn't use cornstarch and some other things, rather a tempura mix I already had on hand, I think I will use the club soda next time however, to add some different texture to the final product.

http://www.discusscooking.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=587&c=5http://www.discusscooking.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=585&catid=member&imageuser=8919


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## Half Baked (Oct 23, 2006)

That plate looks really good to me, Cgood.    I love squid.


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## kitchenelf (Oct 23, 2006)

cgood - it looks wonderful!!!!!  Hey, I saw that pancake too - will you share that recipe?????


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## cgood (Oct 23, 2006)

certainly,
   The easiest thing to do is to find an international market, or korean store and buy the batter mix.  It will be easy to find even if you don't speak korean because the bags have pictures of the pancakes on the outside.

follow the instructions on the bag to make the mix.
You'll need various vegetables 
-any kind of pepper, green yellow, red
--onion
--scallions and/or chives
--seafood---(usually in the same store you will find frozen bags of seafood mix which have everything you'll need for the pancakes, mussels, squid, shrimp, and are cheap.)
--you should have about 3 cups of batter, and about 2.5 cups of vegetables and seafood.  
--All the ingredients should be cut thinly and into 1 inch strips or less.
--when all the ingredients and batter are combined, you can chill them in the refrigerator for a while, this is suppossed to make the finished pancakes crisper, but I have yet to find a good chilling time.)
-pre heat a 8 or 10 inch pan and coat the inside with pam or olive oil before pouring the batter in.
--As far as size goes, you can experiment, small ones until you are more confident and can make bigger ones.
 --cooking time is about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Sauce for dipping is Soy Sauce and either distilled white vinegar or rice wine vinegar, and the ratio should be about 2:1 soy sauce to vinegar (in Tablespoons), and topped with 1/2-1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds.
You can refrigerate any leftovers and reheat later.
  Anything here can be toyed with to suit your own taste, this is the way we  make them though.
 Difficulty: very easy


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## kitchenelf (Oct 23, 2006)

THANK YOU


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## cgood (Oct 24, 2006)

let me know how they turn out.............


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