Chinese Walnut Shrimp

This is one of my favorite dishes to order at a Chinese restaurant. It always felt like a luxury since shrimp was a special treat when we went out growing up. The hardest part of making it is cleaning the shrimp. I know there are tricks to speed it up, but maybe I just need more practice. When I saw shrimp on sale and had no dinner plans, I thought this would be a fun choice! I love the combination of the shrimp’s flavor, the sweet sauce, and the crunch of candied walnuts all in one happy bite.

Ingredients

  • 1-pound large shrimp
  • 1/2 C raw walnut
  • 1/2 C water
  • 1/2 C monk fruit
  • 3 T mayonnaise 
  • 1/2 T honey
  • 1/2 T sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 t fresh lemon juice  
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 C cornstarch
  • Oil for frying

Directions

  1. Boil water in a pot.
  2. Add monk fruit or sugar, stirring until dissolved and caramelized.
  3. Add walnuts and simmer a few minutes.
  4. Remove the candied walnuts to dry on a silicone mat and set aside.  Extras are a good snack, too.
  5. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, honey, condensed milk and lemon juice for the sauce, set aside.
  6. Clean the shrimp, removing the shell, devein, rinse with cold water.
  7. Mix the egg white with the shrimp.
  8. Toss in cornstarch. 
  9. Heat cooking oil to 350 F.
  10. Shake off excess cornstarch and cook about 90 seconds per side or until it turns orange, it's rubbery if over cooked.
  11. Transfer cooked shrimp to a wire rack to drain oil.
  12. Add shrimp, add walnuts and sauce to a large bowl and combine before serving.