Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Recipe: Silk Road spicy shrimp

Spicy Shrimp Silk Road

Mikayla Whitmore

Spicy Shrimp from Westgate’s Silk Road Asian Bistro in Las Vegas, Nev. on July 25, 2017.

Seafood is thought of as light fare. But after a dip in the deep fryer, it can be as rich and substantial as a plate of crispy chicken.

The beauty of Silk Road’s shrimp dish is that it balances that fried backbone with plenty of spice and vegetables with bright flavor, finishing with the clean, grassy effect of fresh cilantro. The key is letting the shellfish marinate long enough for tongue-tickling white pepper to sink in deep.

If you want to add a side to this popular bite at Westgate's Asian bistro, try an acidic slaw with green apple.

For marinade

• 12 16/20 shrimp (this means 16-20 shrimp per pound, fresh or frozen in the shell)

• 1/6 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 tsp white pepper, ground

1. Place shrimp in large mixing bowl and season with salt, chicken powder and white pepper.

2. Let rest for 10 minutes.

For frying

Pro tip

For frying, olive and sunflower oil are good choices, as they have healthy fats and high smoke points.

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1/2 cup corn starch

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp Chinese 5-spice

• 3 cups deep-fryer oil

1. After shrimp has marinated, pour over beaten egg until fully coated.

2. Place cornstarch in mixing bowl and add shrimp, tossing until fully coated.

3. Combine salt and 5-spice and season shrimp.

4. Heat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees and add shrimp. Cook until golden brown.

Additional ingredients and directions

• 3 oz canola oil

• 1/4 cup onion, finely diced

• 1/4 cup red pepper, finely diced

• 1/8 tsp chile Japones

• 1 tbsp green onion, chopped

• 1 jalapeño, finely diced

• 1/4 tsp garlic, minced

1. While shrimp is cooking, place canola oil in wok.

2. Add garlic and chili and cook until slightly browned.

3. Add onion, red pepper, jalapeño and green onion. Sauté until just starting to soften.

4. Remove shrimp from deep fryer and add to wok. Toss with vegetables.

5. Place iceberg lettuce on plates and spoon entrée on top.

6. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy