Sweet and Spicy Orange Shrimp

I was craving shrimp, so I thought I would try this. These little gems have just a touch of crunchy coating, just a small tingly heat and a hint of orange. I like this dish as is because I can really taste the shrimp. If you want to ramp up the orange, throw a little orange zest into the sauce mix. If you want to add heat, throw in a sliced Thai chile or a few teaspoons of sriracha. I like to serve this as is for people who aren’t crazy about super spicy food and then pass the sriracha at the table.

Ingredients (serves 6 as an appetizer or 4 as a main course):

Shrimp:

1 ½ pound raw, shell-on, (16-20 count) butterflied shrimp (if you get easy-peel shrimp, you can easily butterfly them by just deepening the cut on the back and spreading them out)
1 cup finely crushed crisp rice cereal
2 Tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black or white pepper
½ cup canola, safflower or peanut oil

Sauce:

2 teaspoons canola, safflower or peanut oil
3 green onions, sliced thin, reserving a bit of the green for garnish
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons sweet Thai chile sauce
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 Tablespoons orange juice

Directions: Wash shrimp and pat dry. Combine cereal, corn starch, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge shrimp in the cereal mixture to lightly coat, shaking off excess. Heat the ½ cup of oil in a wok or pan on medium high heat until shimmering, but not smoking (a good way to test if the oil is hot enough is to put the end of a wooden chopstick or skewer in the oil—if bubbles form around it, it is hot enough). Fry the shrimp, in batches, until golden (about 3 minutes). Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Clean out the oil from the wok (into a jar, please-not down your drain). Wipe the wok quickly with a paper towel to make sure there are no crunchy bits in the sauce. Add the 2 teaspoons of oil. Add in the green onions, garlic, chile sauce and orange juice. Cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Add the shrimp back into the pan and cook just a minute or so more, until the shrimp are coated with sauce. Pile the shrimp on a serving plate and garnish with reserved green onions.