Spicy Tempura Shrimp with Pepper Jelly Glaze

Appetizers

Recipe courtesy of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture magazine

Makes 24 pieces.

Ingredients: 

 

  • 1 cup pepper jelly
  • 2 tablespoons rice or cane vinegar
  • salt and hot pepper flakes to taste
  • cooking oil, as needed
  • 24 large Louisiana shrimp, cleaned, tails left intact
  • 24 skewers
  • 2 cups Seasoned Flour, in all (click for recipe)
  • ¼ cup corn starch
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 cups ice water
  • 1/4 cup sesame oil

Tempura Shrimp

Tempura Shrimp

Click image to enlarge; Arena Creative

Method: 

Preheat oven to 200F. Put pepper jelly and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until jelly has melted. Taste and add salt and hot pepper flakes as desired. Keep warm.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a large skillet set over high heat; heat to 360ºF.

Devein shrimp if desired; thread shrimp onto skewers. Place ¼ cup of the Seasoned Flour on a plate; mix the remaining flour with the corn starch and set aside. Dredge shrimp in the ¼ cup seasoned flour and set on a baking rack set over paper towels.

Quickly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in ice water. Add the Seasoned Flour/cornstarch mixture and carefully stir with chop sticks or skewers; you want to work the flour as little as possible to avoid the formation of gluten. It will be lumpy and small clumps of dry flour will remain.

Just before you start to fry, stir sesame oil into cooking oil.

Working in batches, dip the skewered shrimp into the batter then place in the hot oil; take care not to overcrowd the pan to ensure a crisp exterior. Fry the shrimp until golden, about three minutes; drain on a rack on a baking sheet over paper towels; keep warm in the oven. Repeat until all shrimp is fried, returning the oil to temperature between batches if necessary.

Serve hot, with pepper jelly glaze for dipping.


 

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