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You’ve perhaps seen and eaten commercially available shrimp chips (or prawn crackers) in Asian markets. Here is a recipe to make these yourself with pristine Alaska cold-water shrimp. Makes 120 chips.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound raw Alaska shrimp, peeled
  • 1 small knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 3 ¾ cups tapioca flour (plus extra for kneading and rolling)
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • Canola oil for deep frying

Details

  • Author: Kirsten Dixon
  • Category: Appetizer

Instructions

  1. Add the shrimp and ginger into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse and mix the mixture until the shrimp is pureed and quite smooth. You might have a drop in a few drops of water if the shrimp becomes too thick to blend smoothly. Add in the flour, salt and pepper.
  2. Spread some tapioca flour onto a work surface. Remove the shrimp mixture from the food processor and place the dough onto the work surface. Knead the mixture lightly until it comes together enough to roll the dough into a cylindrical shape. You may wish to make two 1-pound logs, or several smaller logs depending on how big you want your shrimp chips to be.
  3. Steam the shrimp logs (either in a proper steamer or on a rack set over briskly simmering water) for about a half-hour. The logs will be a little rubbery and the color of the logs is slightly darker.
  4. Remove the logs from the steamer and chill completely, about ½ hour. You can pop the logs in the freezer for about 10 minutes if you want to speed up the process. The shrimp logs should be completely firm and cooled before slicing.
  5. Thinly slice the log into paper-thin chips. The thinner the chips, the puffier they will be. Lay the chips out onto a baking sheet and air-dry for about 45 minutes. In Asia, the chips are often set out in the sun to dry.
  6. Heat the canola oil to 375 degrees F. in a large pot or wok. Drop in a few chips at a time and remove them when they are completely puffed, just a minute or two. Drain the chips on paper toweling. Serve the hot chips immediately or store them in an airtight container for a day or two.