Maybe we should start by me explaining why Ebi Fry is so much more than fried shrimp. If you’ve ever had it, you would probably have a good idea of why it is so special, but if you ever made it from scratch, then you would totally understand why it has to be appreciated!

You will need:

• For cleaning the shrimp:
  • 500g of extra large, fresh shrimp (I used XL Tiger Prawns because they are the best, preferably head and tail on)
  • 2 Tbsp corn starch
  • 2 tsp salt
  • Cold, fresh water for rinsing
• For the tartar sauce:
  • 1 hard-boiled egg
  • 1/4 white onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp of lemon juice
  • 1 small pickled cucumber
  • 1 Tbsp chopped parsley (I used dill)
  • 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • Salt & pepper
• For frying:
  • 1 cup AP flour (tempura flour works too and will give you a puffier result)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • Oil for deep frying (minimum 1.5-inches high in the pot)
• Garnish for serving:
  • Finely shredded cabbage
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Radish sprouts (optional)
  • Lemon wedges

1. First let’s make the Tartar Sauce:
   1. Sprinkle some salt on the chopped onion and rub it in with your fingers.
   2. Squeeze the lemon into a small bowl and make sure there are no seeds in the juice.
   3. Finely chop the boiled egg, pickled cucumber and dill (or parsley).
   4. Rinse the chopped onion in cold water and strain it well using a paper towel.
   5. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl including the mayonnaise and mix well.
   6. Refrigerate the tartar sauce until ready to serve.
2. Now let’s clean the shrimp:
   1. Carefully remove the heads and shells of the shrimp leaving the last segment and tail intact.
   2. Use a bamboo skewer to devein the shrimp (remove the dark sandy vein on the back of the shrimp).
   3. Add the shrimp to a bowl along with the cornstarch and salt. Wash in cold water, while very gently rubbing the shrimp in the slurry.
   4. Rinse well with plenty of fresh cold water and pat dry using paper towels.
   5. Now, to straighten the shrimp make shallow diagonal cuts on the belly side of the shrimp. Flip the shrimp over on the cutting board and very carefully massage the back until you feel small pops happen under your fingers. This breaks the “spine” of the shrimp; keeping it straight during the cooking process for a more even cook.
   6. Lastly, cut off the end tips of the tail of the shrimp and use the back of a knife to scrape out the moist bits of flesh from the tail. This is more for presentation and will also prevent the tails from exploding in the hot oil for less splatter. 🙂
   7. Lightly salt your shrimp and set aside.
3. Let’s fry!
   1. Heat up the oil in a medium sized pot to 170°C
   2. While the oil is coming up to temperature you can start breading the shrimp. Whisk the eggs in a shallow baking dish and arrange three shallow baking dishes in a row in the following order: flour, eggs and the panko breadcrumbs last.
   3. Grab a shrimp by its tail and dust it in the flour while shaking off any excess.
   4. Dip the shrimp in the whisked egg and make sure it is fully coated with egg before rolling it in the breadcrumbs.
   5. Once the shrimp is coated in breadcrumbs, repeat the steps by returning it to the egg mixture and then back into the breadcrumbs for a fuller coat.
   6. Once all the shrimps are coated and the oil has reached the desired temperature, start frying. Be careful not to overcrowd the pot (2 to 3 pieces of shrimp at a time) in order not to drop the temperature of the oil too suddenly.
   7. Drain the fried shrimp on a wire rack and serve immediately on a hill of finely shredded cabbage, cherry tomatoes, a lemon wedge and the tartar sauce on the side.
   8. Enjoy! 😍