Salt and pepper shrimp is a Cantonese restaurant staple that made the jump to American takeout menus and never left. The shrimp go into hot oil in a thin cornstarch coat, come out shattering-crisp, and then get tossed with garlic, chili, and a salt and pepper mix that is doing almost all the work.
The pepper in that mix is white, and that is what the restaurants use. Both peppers carry the same heat compound, so the difference is aroma rather than burn. White pepper's earthy, faintly fermented note is the thing your memory recognizes as this dish. Black pepper's pine and citrus pulls it somewhere else, somewhere good but not here.
Kampot white is worth using because the seasoning goes on at the very end, uncooked. You taste the peppercorn directly. Anything stale or flat has nowhere to hide behind sauce.
What you need
Serves 3 to 4 as part of a meal. About 30 minutes.
For the shrimp
- 1 lb large shrimp, shell-on or peeled, deveined and patted very dry
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Neutral oil for frying, 3 to 3 1/2 cups in a wok so the shrimp sit submerged in a single layer
For the salt and pepper mix
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground white Kampot pepper
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
That is already a heavier hand with pepper than most restaurants use. Make the mix, taste a pinch, and scale it to what you like before it goes near the shrimp.
For the toss
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 1 to 2 fresh red chilies or jalapeños, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon of the frying oil
Method
- Dry the shrimp thoroughly. Blot them with paper towels until no moisture is left. Wet shrimp steam instead of frying, and the coating slides off.
- Mix the seasoning. Grind the white peppercorns fresh, then stir together with the salt and sugar in a small bowl. Set it right next to the stove, because you will need it fast.
- Coat. Toss the shrimp with the cornstarch and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt until each one wears a thin, even dusting. Shake off the excess in a strainer. A thick coat turns gummy.
- Fry. Heat the oil in a wok or deep skillet to 375°F. Fry the shrimp in two or three batches, about 2 minutes per batch, until the coating is pale gold and crisp. Do not crowd the pan, and let the oil come back to temperature between batches. Oil that drops into the low 300s gives you a soft, greasy coating instead of the shatter you want. Drain on a rack, not on paper towels, so the bottoms stay crisp.
- Build the toss. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil. Over high heat, add the garlic, the chilies, and the white parts of the scallions. Stir constantly for 30 to 45 seconds, just until fragrant. Garlic goes from sweet to bitter in seconds here.
- Finish. Return the shrimp to the pan, sprinkle the salt and pepper mix over everything, and toss hard for 20 seconds so the seasoning coats every piece. Add the scallion greens, toss once more, and get it onto a plate immediately.
Notes from our kitchen
- Shell-on or peeled: shell-on is traditional and carries more seasoning, but the shells need longer in the oil to turn genuinely crunchy. Give them a second 45-second fry after the first batch rests, or accept chewy shells. Peeled is easier and works fine. Do not do half and half, because they fry at different rates.
- Season twice if you want. Restaurant kitchens hit the shrimp once straight out of the fryer and again during the toss. The important part is that the last dose goes on off the heat, where the pepper stays sharp instead of mellowing into the oil.
- Grind fresh. Ground white pepper that has been sitting in a cupboard is the main reason home versions taste muted next to the restaurant.
- No deep frying? Toss the coated shrimp with 2 tablespoons of oil and air fry at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes, shaking halfway. Less shattering, still very good.
- Make it a meal: steamed jasmine rice and a plate of blanched greens with oyster sauce. That is the whole dinner.
Storage
Best within minutes of cooking. Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated and lose their crispness, which is unavoidable. Reheat in a 375°F oven or air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes, no longer, since the shrimp are already cooked and will turn rubbery. Re-season with a small pinch of the salt and pepper mix.