Try this Candied Walnut Shrimp with Asian Dipping Sauce and Green Apple Slaw. The recipe makes a wonderful appetizer or light romantic dinner.
Candied Walnut Shrimp have that great combination of flavor and textural interest, that I really love in a dish. The delicate sweetness of the shrimp is not over-powered by the rich candied walnuts. Both shine through. The shrimp are teamed with a tangy and lightly spicy dipping sauce and a crisp green apple slaw to create a light yet well-rounded meal.
If you would prefer a creamier sauce, make my Japanese Yum Yum Sauce instead.
As I mentioned above, this would also make a great appetizer, but I personally think it is perfect for a romantic dinner. I would start off with a nice brothy soup for the first course followed by these Candied Walnut Shrimp with Dipping Sauce accompanied by the Green Apple Slaw, as a light main course. This leaves room for dessert. Perhaps a nice slice of Key Lime Pie. The shrimp would also pair well with Chinese Steamed Pork Buns and Asian Cucumber salad. Pickled Daikon would be a nice addition too.
Candied Walnut Shrimp: Prep Notes
While this is a multi-step recipe, the candied walnuts can be prepared in advance, and the shrimp can be dredged and coated a little while before cooking. Hands-on cooking time while entertaining your loved one would not be long at all then. The little extra effort for this recipe is so worth it.
While I typically make my candied nuts in a skillet with brown sugar, they can also be make in the oven, like in my recipe for Candied Almonds.
Candied Walnut Shrimp with Green Apple Slaw and Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Candied Walnut Shrimp
- 12 jumbo raw wild shrimp
- 1 cup tapioca flour corn starch may be substituted
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger dry
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped candied walnuts
- oil for frying
Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tbs Fresno peppers cut into thin strips ½" long
- Finely sliced scallions
Spicy Green Apple Slaw
- 1 large green apple cored & sliced into matchsticks
- 2 tbs lime juice
- 1 tbs low sodium soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ½ tbs Jalapeno peppers thin sliced, ½" long
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing and slaw first. Simply combine ingredients and mix.
- Peel & de-vein the shrimp, leaving tail on, then pat dry with paper towel.
- Set out 3 bowls: in first one, mix together tapioca flour & ginger in second beat the two eggs well, put the chopped candied walnuts in the third bowl.
- Dredge the shrimp in egg, then flour, then egg again, finally in the walnuts. Set aside the prawns once coated.
- Heat a ½" of oil in small skillet over med-high. Once hot drop in the prawns 3-4 at a time, don't crowd them. As you see the edges start to become opaque gently flip with a fork and cook another minute. Drain on pastry cooling rack or plate (no towel, they will stick)
- Serve shrimp on or over apple slaw with dipping sauce on the side. Sprinkle scallions over both the shrimp and the dipping sauce.
Notes
Rebecca Orr says
I love shrimp. I rarely eat it at home though. I think this recipe will be changing that!