Firecracker Shrimps 黃金炸蝦卷 – For Chinese New Year 賀年食品

Chinese New Year is just around the corner.  This year, it falls on January 28th.  Check out my previous blog posts for other Chinese New Year dishes and treats that I shared.  Or, click here to for more popular Chinese New Year recipes that I compiled last year.



Today, I wanted to share with you these delicious Firecracker Shrimps 黃金炸蝦卷!  You can serve them as an appetizer or as an entrée.  These Firecracker Shrimps are fried to golden brown perfection.  They are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.  The marinade for these shrimps adds so much wonderful flavors to these little golden gems.



I served them with a sweet chili sauce, but you can dip them in whatever sauce that you like.  A Chili Mayo, Roasted Garlic Mayo, or even homemade ketchup would be nice too. 



These Firecracker Shrimps are perfect for the Chinese New Year.  During the Chinese New Year, we like to serve dishes that represent good health, good fortune, or other well wishes.  As for this particular dish, it represents happiness for the family and wealth.  The pronunciation of shrimp in Chinese sounds similar to laughter (ha).  So, the more you eat, the happier you’ll get!  Also, the shape and the golden color of these Firecracker Shrimps resemble the golden nuggets that ancient Chinese used.  Now, you know why you should make this dish for Chinese New Year!  



I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and tutorial.  Please stay tuned for more fun and delicious recipe next week! 預祝大家金銀滿屋, 日日笑哈哈!



 
 
Ingredients and Tools Used:
Egg Roll Wrapper (Click here for more information)
Microplane (Click here for more information)
Sambal Oelek Chili Paste (Click here for more information)
Light Soy Sauce (Click here for more information)
Sweet Chili Sauce (Click here for more information)
Rice Vinegar (Click here for more information)
Corn Starch (Click here for more information)
Sesame Oil (Click here for more information)
Asian Spider Strainer (Click here for more information)
 


Firecracker Shrimps 黃金炸蝦卷 - 賀年食品
Makes: 12

Ingredients for the Marinade:
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

Ingredients for the Egg Rolls:
6 sheets of Asian style egg roll wrappers, cut in half diagonally
1/2 pound (12 pieces) shelled raw tail-on shrimp, devein
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 green onions, chopped
2 cups cooking oil, for frying

To Prepare the Marinade:
In a medium bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients, set aside.

To Prepare the Egg Rolls:
Gently pat dry the shrimps with paper towels. With a small paring knife, make a few shallow slits along the inside curve of each shrimp. This will help the shrimps stay straight when frying.

Line the shrimps with their tails facing the outside edge of the plate. Spoon the prepared marinade over the shrimp, avoiding the tails. Let the shrimps marinate for a few minutes.

Open the egg roll wrapper package and cut in half, diagonally. Cover the wrappers with a damp towel or plastic wrap to avoid drying out.

In a small bowl, mix the water and cornstarch together. This will be use as glue to seal the egg rolls.

Place a piece of egg roll wrapper on a clean surface. Slightly pat dry a shrimp and place it on one end of the wrapper with the tail staying outside of the wrapper. Sprinkle a few chopped green onions on the shrimp and roll the shrimp up tightly starting from one corner of the wrapper. Seal the end of the wrapper with a dab of cornstarch mixture.

Place wrapped Firecracker Shrimps on a plate/tray, loosely covered with a plastic wrap to avoid drying out.

When ready to cook, heat oil in wok, pan, or a deep fryer to 350F. Carefully slide a few Firecracker Shrimps into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain excess oil on wiring rack. Serve with Sweet Chili Sauce and enjoy.