Hapanese Cuisine

When I posted my Oven-Fried Orange Chicken recipe a while ago, I got a comment that brought up the idea of orange shrimp. That sounded absolutely incredible, and as a certified shrimp fanatic, I still can’t believe I had never tried it!

When I did finally try out this recipe, it was absolutely perfect! I love the way the sweet and briny flavors of the shrimp play off of the bright acidity of the orange, the heat of the red pepper, and the tang of the vinegar. I’m not trying to be dramatic, but I might have heard an angelic choir after I took that first bite.

For this dish, I stuck with the same recipe for the orange sauce, but I decided to go a little bit simpler with the shrimp itself. Instead of a three-step breading process with flour and eggs (like what I did with the chicken), I decided to go with a simple coating of cornstarch instead. The cornstarch crust does turn translucent when you toss the shrimp in the sauce, but it clings to the orange sauce in a beautiful way. (If you want an extra crunch, though, you can absolutely do the full breading process!)

If you’re looking for a quick and delicious dinner, try this out tonight!

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Orange Shrimp

Sauce:

• 2 TBSP ginger, freshly grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 TBSP oil
• Zest and juice of one orange
• 1 TBSP cornstarch mixed with 1 TBSP water
• 3 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup oil

2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/3 cup cornstarch

To make the sauce, combine the ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and oil in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat until fragrant. Add in all the other ingredients, bring to a boil, and cook until thickened.

Put a large sauté pan on medium high heat, and heat the oil in the pan. Toss the shrimp in the cornstarch to evenly coat, then, working in batches, lay the shrimp in a flat layer in the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until shrimp is crispy. Remove shrimp from pan to a bowl, then toss in the sauce until evenly coated. Serve immediately over rice or noodles.

Serves about 6.