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1
Dipping Sauce: Place catsup, sugar, vinegar and water in saucepan.
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2
Bring to a boil and thicken with dissolved cornstarch.
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3
Add green pepper and bring to a boil again.
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4
Remove from heat and set aside.
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5
This may be done ahead and reheated.
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6
Ginger Juice Mixture: Mix ginger root, garlic, salt and sherry ingredients in bowl and set aside.
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7
Batter: Shell, devein, and butterfly shrimp.
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8
(Remove shell, leaving tail portion intact.
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9
Split shrimp down back without cutting through.
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10
Remove vein and spread open.)
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11
Wash in cold water 1 minute, drain, and pat dry.
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12
Using pastry brush, spread Ginger Juice Mixture on split side of shrimp.
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13
Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl.
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14
Add oil gradually while stirring.
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15
Mix well.
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16
The dough should look like pie dough.
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17
Stir in water a little at a time, until mixture becomes thick batter.
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18
Add sesame seeds and scallions and mix well.
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19
(The big trick to puffy batter is addition of oil before cold water.)
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20
To test whether consistency of batter is right, hold a shrimp by tail, dip it into batter, then hold it over bowl.
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21
Batter should drip down slowly from shrimp.
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22
Heat oil in wok to deep-fry temperature (375F.)
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23
Take each shrimp by tail and dip into batter, then put directly into hot oil.
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24
Shrimp should puff up and swim to top immediately.
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25
(If it stays on bottom, oil is not hot enough.)
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26
Deep-fry a few at a time; too many cool down oil.
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27
Turn shrimp with tongs when batter is set.
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28
Fry until light gold.
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29
Drain on paper towels.
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30
Serve with hot sauce on the side.
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31
They should be served immediately, but warm oven will keep them pretty crisp for 1/2 hour or so.
