Spicy Firecracker Shrimp

I recently bought a big bag of frozen jumbo shrimp from Costco. So, if you see a lot of shrimp recipes on here…that’s why. Shrimp are also my favorite seafood ingredients to cook with, cos they’re quick to cook, absorbent to any kind of spices and flavoring you use and they are super delicious! I’ve seen Firecracker Shrimp recipes all over the Internet, and while I loved the concept, from what I read of the ingredients, I didn’t think they would have that much flavor. So I made my own spicy shrimp marinade, influenced by Asian flavors and let the shrimp marinate for about half an hour before wrapping them in egg roll wrappers.

They turned out absolutely divine! Crispy on the outside, full of flavor and succulent and juicy on the inside….these Spicy Firecracker Shrimp would make a very sophisticated and elegant party appetizer. A great dipping sauce to serve them with is my Sweet & Spicy Chili Sauce (Thai Style), and if you’re thinking of just buying that at the store….I promise you if you try my recipe (which is super easy and quick to make with ingredients you probably have at home already), you won’t regret it! Anyway, here’s my version of Firecracker Shrimp…

Ingredients

12 frozen jumbo/large shrimp, defrosted
6 egg roll wrappers
Oil for frying
1 tbsp of flour with a little water
(make a paste of this to help seal the wrapping)

For the Marinade

3 tbsp of Sriracha or Hot Sauce
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Seasame Oil
3 cloves of garlic
zest & juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tbsp of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

– Start by preparing a marinade for the shrimp. In a shallow bowl or zip lock bag, add the sriracha/hot sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil.
– Then grate the fresh peeled garlic cloves, directly into the bowl.
– Zest half a lime, cut it and squeeze it’s juice into the marinade.
– Season the marinade with a sprinkling of salt an pepper. Stir all the ingredients well to mix them. Also add a tablespoon of sugar to balance out all the flavors.
– Toss the shrimp in the bowl or bag and gently mix them around with a spoon to coat them well in the marinade. Cover and place the marinated shrimp in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
– After the shrimp has had some time to soak in all those flavors. Prepare the wrapping by placing an egg roll/spring roll wrapper on a cutting board diagonally so it looks like a diamond shape. Then cut it in half and repeat with the rest of the wrappers.
– Place a shrimp on left side of the wrapper with the tail sticking out and fold over the left corner wrapping the shrimp as tightly as you can.
– Then fold the top corner down, making sure to cover the top end of the shrimp.Roll the shrimp as tightly as possible and as straight as you can manage until there’s just a little corner left.
– Using your finger apply a little of the flour paste (a little flour and water mix) to the corner of the wrapper and seal it.
– Repeat the same wrapping method for the rest of the shrimp.
– In a pan, add about an inch or so of oil to fry the shrimp.(You can use a deep fryer if you have one, but enough oil to cover at least 3/4 of the shrimp if not the whole shrimp is all you really need) Heat the oil through on medium-high. To test and see if the oil is hot enough for frying, pinch a tiny piece of wrapper and drop it in the oil…if it bubbles and comes to rises to the top quickly it’s hot enough.
– Fry the shrimp in small batches depending on the size of your pan and cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side till golden brown. I’d suggest cooking one to time it and one you take it out, cut it in half to see if the shrimp is cooked through but not rubbery.
– Serve hot with some sweet and spicy dipping sauce. …yummm!