Walnut Shrimp

Step 1

Mix the shrimp, Shaoxing wine, salt, ginger and white pepper together in a medium bowl. Marinate for 10 minutes while preparing other ingredients.

Step 2

Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper.

Step 3

Heat the oil in a small or medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until just turning warm. Swirl the pan to let the oil coat as much surface as possible. Sprinkle the sugar into the pan in a thin layer.

Step 4

Turn to medium-low heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until most of the sugar has melted and starts turning an amber color, 3 minutes or so.

Step 5

Add the walnuts. Stir everything together to let the sugar coat the nuts as evenly as possible. Keep cooking and stirring until all the sugar has melted and the sugar turns a golden brown color, about 2 minutes. Then immediately transfer everything onto the lined baking sheet.

Step 6

Spread out the nuts again and separate them as much as possible using a spatula. Let cool until the coating has hardened, 5 minutes or so. Then you can easily break apart the nuts.

Step 7

Mix the mayonnaise, condensed milk, honey, rice vinegar, and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Stir to mix well.

Step 8

Right before cooking, add the cornstarch to the marinated shrimp. Coat the shrimp evenly.

Step 9

Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the shrimp without overlapping (you might need to cook in 2 batches). Let cook until the bottom turns golden. Flip and cook the other side until golden. Transfer the shrimp to a big plate to cool slightly.

Step 10

Once the shrimp cool off a bit (*Footnote 1), transfer the shrimp into a big bowl without transferring the juice or oil pooled in the plate. Add the sauce and mix well.

Step 11

Add half of the glazed walnuts and give it a quick mix. Transfer everything to a large plate. Add the rest of the walnuts and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve immediately as a main dish.