Fried Shrimp Shells

Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen. Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

“The shrimp heads just looked too juicy to ignore,” says Halo Perez-Gallardo, chef-owner and creative director of Lil’ Deb’s Oasis in Hudson, New York. They had just added a fresh shrimp ceviche to the menu and were considering tossing the discarded heads and shells into their usual shrimp-infused butter, but these had a higher calling: the fryer. Perez-Gallardo, who is always looking for creative ways to cull flavor from ingredients that might otherwise get tossed, felt inspired by the popular drinking snacks of East Asia—little morsels packed with salty umami that long to be washed down with a cold beverage. An impromptu batter dredge and deep-fry transformed the shrimpy bits into an alluringly crispy, aromatic app that immediately landed on the menu. While the dish disappeared just as fast—a flash in the pan that stuck around only as long as the ceviche—Perez-Gallardo’s timeless technique is one worth trying at home.

Yield: 2 Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 cup rice flour
• ½ cup tapioca starch
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• One 12-oz. can cold seltzer (1½ cups)
• 1½ cups raw shrimp shells and heads (from about 1 lb., or 31–40, shrimp)
• Vegetable oil
• 1 cup finely chopped scallions, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the salt, the paprika, garlic powder, and cumin and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch, and remaining salt. Using your hand or a wooden spoon, gradually stir in the seltzer until the mixture resembles pancake batter. Add the shrimp shells and stir to coat.
3. Into a large pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, pour the oil to a depth of 1 inch. Turn the heat to medium-high, and when the temperature reads 350°F, use tongs to pick up (be sure to let the excess batter drip off) and carefully drop in the shells one at a time. Fry until golden brown, 3–5 minutes. Season to taste with the salt mixture, garnish with scallions, and serve immediately.