Firecracker Shrimp with Spicy Mayo

The Best Firecracker Shrimp

This Firecracker Shrimp Recipe is a very fast and simple way to just knock out a great appetizer that everyone can enjoy. There are many different ways you can make these and as you can see I’ve chosen the easiest way to demonstrate by practicality and availability so that everyone can enjoy these little poppers. The more authentic version requires Spring Roll Wrappers which aren’t often, if at all, stocked in regular grocery stores. That is why I’ve chosen the Wonton Wrapper because they’re made more readily available. To make these Firecracker Shrimp you only need a few ingredients, which I’ll list below.

Other Firecracker Shrimp Recipes

The more commonly known Firecracker Shrimp recipe is different than this appetizer and it is normally served as a side or main dish. Some restaurants even have it listed on their menu under a different name; Bang Bang Shrimp. But they are, both, one in the same and it doesn’t reference the look of the firecracker as much as it does the spiciness of the dish. It’s generally made with pre-fried, battered shrimp with Red Chili’s and a sweet and spicy sauce. And, lucky for you, I just so happen to have the number one fried shrimp recipe on YouTube, so all you have to do is combine that recipe with the sauce and you’ll be on your way. Click Here for that recipe!

Firecracker Shrimp Ingredients:

1 pkg Wonton Wrappers
2 lbs Medium or Large Shrimp
1/4 cup Water for Wrappers
Oil for Frying

Spicy Mayo Sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Sriracha

Peal and de-vain Shrimp but leave the tails attached. Roll each Shrimp in one Wonton Wrapper, leaving the tail out, one half roll, then fold the bottom of the wrapper over the end of the shrimp like a burrito and roll the Wrapper and Shrimp together as one until you reach the furthest edge and stop. Dab the edge with water and seal by pressing firmly. Fry at 350 degrees for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Mix the two ingredients together for Spicy Mayo, adjust for taste and enjoy your Firecracker Shrimp.

Oriental Salad with Dressing

Oriental Salad made with Leftovers!

There’s nothing that top secret about an Oriental Salad. But I’m going to make one using leftovers. I can walk into almost any kitchen, open the refrigerator and turn out a gourmet dish. Obviously a salad is a weak example, but it is an example none the less. Lomo Saltado was left over in my refrigerator today and I decided to turn out an Oriental Salad. Not that that’s too difficult in itself, but the secret to an oriental salad lies in the dressing. So, though I’m whipping out a quick salad, I want the main focus to be two things, leftovers and the dressing.

The best part is everybody has leftovers. So there is a very large variety of options you could probably turn out in your own salad. Beef and Chicken are the easiest, and since my Lomo Saltado recipe has onions and peppers in it as well, I feel like this is the best choice for an Oriental Salad as well as an excellent opportunity to introduce my oriental salad dressing. There are two sauces you need to be aware of; Sriracha, made by Rooster and Kikkoman’s Tempura Dipping Sauce. Sriracha is HOT but it has an excellent flavor for oriental foods that only it can provide. Use this sparingly and to your desired tastes. Tempura Dipping sauce is great for many things. I use this when I make Lo Mein or Ham Fried Rice!

Oriental Salad Dressing Ingredients:

½ cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp Oyster Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
½ tsp Sriracha
2 oz Tempura Dipping Sauce

All the ingredients are pretty basic for this salad. Just be sure to add onions, peppers and some sort of Crispy noodle. I use uncooked Ramen on purpose just to show that it can be done and it can still taste excellent. The Dressing is simple and lies as follows in the above ingredients. Make sure you try an Oriental Salad with this Oriental Dressing next time you’re craving it.

Sushi Hand Roll

Sushi, sushi, Sushi Hand roll!

Oh my god I love a Sushi Hand roll! I’m not even playin’. I honestly don’t remember the very first time it was really introduced in my life, but I do know for certain that it wasn’t something I grew up with. I didn’t try Sushi until I was a grown man. I’d even go a step further and say that I might have even been a grown drunk man. This was late night food for me when I had the munchies. At least that’s how I remember it. In my mid twenties I picked up some work that was paying a lot of money; a lot of money for me anyway. Plus I was single, and I was traveling to different jobs all the time, so I got to meet a ton of new faces that helped me pay out my ass with a ton of fresh experiences. One of my favorites was a club in Denver called, “The Church”!

The Church was an old Cathedral, Roman Catholic style building that was turned into the hottest club in town. Oh yeah, not to mention Sushi. Crazy Right? I’m telling you, nothing was a bigger surprise to me than to find a small Sushi bar in the very back of a 3 level floor, wall to wall, shoulder to shoulder college fest of drunken dancers. However, in the condition I was in at 1:00 in the morning, NOTHING could’ve made me happier either.

If you don’t know by now, there are all forms of Sushi Rolls, and these days, every bar out there pretty much makes up their own rolls. Sure there are many traditional’s with the same basic ingredients, but there always seems to be a little tweak here and there in the way they’re prepared. I never have the same roll made exactly the same at different restaurants. But one thing I have found, is that any true not in it for the hype Sushi lover, will order Sushi Hand Rolls. So breaking it down simply, I’ve chosen the Spicy Tuna Hand Roll to demonstrate how easy this can be for you to do on your own at home.

Sushi Ingredients

1 Ahi Tuna Steak
1 cup Sushi Rice
1 Green Onion (chopped scallions)
1/4 Sliced Cucumber
1/4 cup Mayo
1 tsp Sriracha (rooster sauce)
6 Half Sheets of Nori (seaweed)

Spicy Mayo Mix is just combining the Mayonnaise and Sriracha rooster sauce.

All good Sushi boils down to proper preparation of the rice. It is said that most chefs wash rice for months and sometimes years before they are ever trained to cut and roll sushi. The rice must be properly rinsed and washed, soaked, then brought to a boil, reduced to a simmer for twenty minutes, cooled, then mixed with salt, sugar and rice vinegar. The mixture and recipe for perfect Sushi rice can be found all over the web if you want a professional opinion from a Sushi Chef. Just know that if you decide to skip this step, or even purchase the wrong rice, the flavor of your rolls will MOST DEFINITELY suffer.

Sushi Hand Roll Instructions

1) Lay down the Nori smooth side down, texture side up, length wise left to right.
2) Wet your hands with water and grab 1/3 cup of Sushi rice.
3) Place the rice in the center of the left hand side of the Nori and press diagonally from the top corner until the rice is 3/8″ thick.
4) Make a Diagonal indention in the rice by pressing your index finger in the center of the rice, then garnish with cucumber.
5) Then spread one heaping tbs of spicy tuna over the cucumber leaving the bulk towards the top left corner.
6) Using two hands, pull the Nori to the edge of the table with the right hand, then use your left hand to catch the rice side.
7) With your right hand, roll the rice side first starting with the bottom corner of the Nori, rolling over the rice in a funnel like fashion. Make sure that the bottom of the roll goes to a point as you turn the roll in your left hand, leaving the top exposed like an ice cream cone. Continue all the way around until you reach the last corner from the end of the Nori. Stop there and place one or two pieces of rice on the corner and close the remaining Nori to the roll by sticking the rice corner to the cone.
8) Top off the Spicy Tuna with Scallions and Tempura crumbs if you’ve got them. Enjoy your Sushi Hand Roll and be sure to check out my Yakitori Chicken!