Slide your index finger between the legs and the shell near the tail. Loosen and remove the legs, then peel away the shell from the flesh.
8 shrimp
Make a shallow incision along the back with a knife and remove the vein.
Place the tip of the knife along the leg side and gently scrape from the tail toward the front to remove any remaining legs.
Cut the tip of the tail at an angle, then scrape out the dark residue inside.
Clean
Place the peeled shrimp in a bowl, sprinkle with baking soda, and rub to remove odors and impurities. Rinse, changing the water about 3 times.
0.2 teaspoon baking soda
Arrange the shrimp on paper towels and press with more paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Arrange the shrimp on a tray and season one side with salt and white pepper.
1 pinch salt, 1 pinch white pepper
Bread
Mix the flour and tempura flour. Holding each shrimp by the tail, coat it evenly in the mixture, then tap off the excess, paying special attention to the grooves and any loosened areas.
40 g flour, 10 g tempura flour
Beat the egg with the milk. Dip the shrimp flesh into the egg mixture, very lightly dipping the tail shell as well, then let the excess drip off.
1 egg, 25 ml milk
Lay the shrimp in the panko breadcrumbs, head end down, then cover generously with more panko.
panko breadcrumbs
Lift the shrimp with plenty of breadcrumbs and press firmly with both hands so the panko adheres.
Press once more to secure the coating, then place the shrimp on a tray in a single layer.
Fry
Heat the oil to 160°C. Holding a breaded shrimp by the tail, gently lower it into the oil, head end first.
oil for frying
Fry for about 3 min 30 sec. Separate the shrimp with chopsticks only if they look like they might stick, and avoid touching or turning them as they cook.
Remove the shrimp and stand them upright on a rack to drain thoroughly.
After a brief rest, transfer the shrimp to paper towels to absorb any remaining oil.
Serve
Serve with the shredded cabbage and enjoy with tartar sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
cabbage
Notes
Once the peeled shrimp are thoroughly dry, they can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen.
For an extra-crispy coating, press the panko firmly onto the shrimp and avoid turning them during frying.