Salt and Pepper Shrimp
Temptingly seasoned salt and pepper shrimp is a Cantonese dish that takes little effort to prepare and is a joy to eat. Jiao yan is the salt and pepper mixture that livens up the fried shrimp with a quick jolt of flavor. It is typically prepared with white pepper, or, for a fiery heat, with Sichuan peppercorns, but you can also use black pepper (if using Sichuan peppercorns, use 1 part peppercorns to 3 parts salt). Toasting whole peppercorns and then grinding them draws out even more flavor. This recipe makes more of the seasoning than you may need, but you can store the mixture and use it on tofu, chicken, pork chops or vegetables. Coating the shrimp in cornstarch and then shallow-frying makes for an irresistibly crunchy exterior and juicy interior. For the classic restaurant-style preparation, use head-on, shell-on shrimp (the shell is edible when fried), but use peeled shrimp if that’s easier, and don’t be shy with the salt and pepper mix. Serve either as an appetizer with a cooling
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