- City Fish Market - https://cfishct.com -

• 2 pounds raw large shrimp, peeled

• 1⁄4 cup finely crushed Saltine crackers

• 1⁄4 cup sesame seeds (see Note)

• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• vegetable oil for frying

• bottled duck sauce as an accompaniment

Butterfly the shrimp by halving them lengthwise through the rounded side without cutting all the way through, but enough so that they can be opened.

In a shallow dish, combine the cracker crumbs, sesame seeds, and pepper. Dredge each shrimp in the crumb mixture.

In a large deep skillet, heat 1⁄4inch of oil over moderately high heat until it is very hot, but not smoking. Add some of the shrimp to the skillet, leaving plenty of room between each, and fry them for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until they are crisp and cooked through. Transfer the shrimp to brown paper to drain and fry the remaining shrimp.

Serve immediately with duck sauce.

NOTE: Sesame seeds have a high fat content and therefore go rancid easily. I keep a well-sealed glass bottle in the freezer, but make sure they are fresh to start with, or they can ruin a dish.

Serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 as a main course

Thanks to Leslie Glover Pendleton for this recipe