Almost Bang Bang Shrimp

I'm visiting my parents this weekend.  I am so lucky that they live only 2 hours away.  T is on call this weekend, so it was a perfect weekend to get away.  When planning to come on a visit, I also came with a menu in mind.  We decided to try a few new dishes this weekend while I am here.  My dad is probably one of the pickiest eaters on the planet.  So, when it comes to planning a menu that he will have to eat, it is a bit tricky.  He LOVES Bonefish's Bang Bang Shrimp; we decided to give it a try.  The shrimp turned out fabulous.  They are lightly breaded and the breading has fantastic flavor.  The sauce however, we may need to tweak it a little.  But, that can be for another day.  Did I mention that the shrimp were fabulous?!

Ingredients:

For the breading mixture:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

For the egg mixture:
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk

For frying:
1 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Combine the egg and the milk together in a shallow bowl. 

2. Combine the breading mixture together and pour on a plate.

3. To begin the breading process, dust the shrimp with the breading mixture.

4. Dip the shrimp in the egg mixture. 

5. Toss the shrimp, again, in the breading mixture.

6. When finished breading each shrimp, place on a cookie sheet.

7. When all of the shrimp are coated and on the cookie sheet, you can place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.  I placed it in the freezer for about 5 minutes to speed up the process, and it worked great! Just don't forget about them! This step is important because it insures that the breading and egg mixture stick to the shrimp when frying.

8. Add the vegetable oil to a shallow pan.  Turn on the heat so that the oil gets hot.

9. Add the breaded shrimp to the hot oil. Fry on one side for about 30 seconds.  

10. After a short 30 seconds, flip the shrimp and fry on the other side for about 30 seconds.

11. You will know that the shrimp is done when it is a nice golden brown.

12. After the shrimp are finished frying, place on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil.

I served the shrimp with a ginger salad.  It was great! 

For the sauce:

There are a few variations that we tried.  We did not succeed in making the Bonefish sauce, but it still tasted good! We used:

1/2 cup mayonaise

2 tablespoons siracha sauce

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sweet chili thai sauce

You could do the sauce to meet your taste bud needs! Some like spicy sauces, others, like me, do not care for spicy.  If you find the perfect bang bang shrimp sauce, let me know!

Until next time...

-A