Salt-and-Pepper Shrimp

By nnlester

"The ingredient list is short, and the cook time is too. But the flavors? Huge. All it needs is a bowl of white rice." —Dawn Perry, Senior Food Editor

Crunchy shrimp (thanks for the help, cornstarch!) gets its zesty, floral heat from Sichuan peppercorns. It's hard to believe that a main course this complex comes together so quickly. We eat these guys shells and all, but you can sub in peeled shrimp instead.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound shell-on large shrimp
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, ground
• 1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced, seeds removed if desired
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems

Details

Servings 10
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 15mins
Adapted from epicurious.com

Preparation

Step 1

Using kitchen shears, cut along the backs of shrimp through shells and just deep enough to expose veins; remove veins. Pat shrimp dry. Whisk cornstarch, black pepper, and 3/4 teaspoons salt in a large bowl; add shrimp and toss to coat.

Heat oil in a large skillet over mediumhigh heat. Working in 2 batches, fry shrimp until golden, crisp, and cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to paper towels and let drain, then toss in a medium bowl with Sichuan peppercorns and remaining 3/4 teaspoons salt. Add chile and cilantro to bowl and toss to combine.