Red Lobster Crispy Dragon Shrimp Recipe

Consider Crispy Dragon Shrimp a triadic harmony, a thin, crunchy crust, a frugal sweet chili glaze and a tender shrimp that still feel like, well, shrimp. The description on the restaurant menu, crispy shrimp in a sweet, slightly spicy chili sauce, may tell you that its pleasure lies not in a laundry list of ingredients, but in the balance. The shrimp must remain crisp until it arrives at the table; the coating must be slick, tacky, and available, and this does not turn it into mush. It is just the balance we will work to achieve at home.

A little background information will assist you as you put your own scale on it. The dish has been cycled through seasonal promotions and shrimp menus (particularly those so-called shrimp forward promotions). Press and trade pawers keep repeating the same flavor cues: sweet mild heat and hand breaded crisp–so when you are thinking of a fire-bombed Sichuan, turn it down. It is more of sweet chili with a wink than blowing up your tastebuds with a blow torch.

At home, at Lahore the best results are obtained by keeping apart the glaze till the last moment. Prepare the sauce in a small pan; place the fried (or air fried) shrimp on a rack to allow the steam to escape; toss and serve. And in case one of your crew inclines toward spiciness (I have noticed you), place minced hari mirch or a drop of sriracha on the table. We will make the glaze such that it is balanced and amiable, and then leave heat seekers increase their share. You will find me also make a few remarks concerning timing–the only heartbreak here being to drop too soon and miss that crunch. Been there. Regretted it. We’ll fix it.

Now we want to clear the target bite and touch a pan. Restaurant recipes refer to this as crispy shrimp tossed in a sweet, slightly spicy chili sauce and your north star. The coating is not a heavy breadcrumb armor, it is usually a light flour/cornstarch crust (some places serve tempura like), which is fried to a paler gold and has lots of little ridges that the sauce can stick to. The sauce embraces and does not submerge. When thou bit, thou must have crisp – sauce – shrimp followed very quickly by a soft mellowing of sweet heat. It is intentional that soft warmth, mainstream, widely crowd pleasing, and ideal to spice up on the table with fresh chilies or a pinch of flakes should you need the buzz.

Flavor Tastewise, sweet chili bottom, lightly savory top–light soy or a drizzle of rice vinegar, perhaps garlic/ginger peeking in. We’ll keep that spirit. The home versions falter where a great deal of sauce is used: it will make the coating mushy; and too little will make the shrimp taste like plain fried with said sticky spots here and there. We will crust approximately 2-3 tablespoons of glaze to 250 g of fried Shrimp and toss together off heat. The second hiccup is too hot caramelizing–when your pan is burning hot, glaze sugars are darkening rapidly and are going sour. Keep it glossy, not jammy. Finally, do not forget about temperature stacking: hot shrimps + hot glaze + warm plate will have more time to be crisp (less panic). Get those three correct and you are 80% of the way, the 20 percent remaining is that you are fine-tuning the sweetness / heat to family taste.

On American menus, when they say dragon it frequently indicates sweet spicy chili with a light Asian accent- imagine sweet chili sauce, to which soy, citrus/vinegar, garlic, ginger and a touch of mayo are added to give it body (but never compulsory). Trade blurbs and menu watchers write that Red Lobster has it sweet with a little chili on hand breaded crispy shrimp- a combination that is familiar and adjustible. That is why it appears in summer menus and shrimp advertisements, it is not a punishment, it is fun.

On the shell we will rest on a forward dredge of cornstarch made on a pinch of baking powder mixed with flour. When you are air frying you will lightly mist with oil and place a two stage cook on to allow the crust to develop and set. The sauce will be constructed individually, scaled to cling (not run) and more lemon or rice vinegar added in the last drop to add brightness. When you have read reviews highlighting sogginess, they are actually talking about over sauce application or excessively freezing the sauce on the shrimp–both of which can be corrected at home with a smarter toss to table timing.

Okay, so we have established the taste and texture objectives. Then: those things you can literally purchase in Lahore (no treasure hunt), a couple of halal notes and some silent upgrades that can make a huge difference such as a garlic grate into the glaze rather than into powder specks so the aroma doesn’t seem so gritty.

You do not require any special apparatus–only a good skillet or pot, a little saucepan to hold the glaze, and steady concentration to heat or a thermometer (which is convenient). The one that is an addition is a wire rack over a tray which will keep your shrimp crisp after frying. On ingredient, target medium size to large (peeled and deveined) shrimp. Prawns are prevalent in Pakistan–take them; they act alike. Many scholars speak on seafood as being largely halal, but you know your family best–do what you choose. Plain (canola/sunflower) is ideal and, yes, it can be air fried: the texture is a bit different (it becomes drier and crunchier), but still, it is great.

The coating: 60/40 blend of cornstarch and flour added to it with salt, white pepper, powdered garlic and a touch of baking powder. The glaze: Thai style sweet chili sauce as a base (that would be very easy to get), soy, rice vinegar or lemon, grated garlic, ginger and a sprinkle of honey to smooth out the sides. To achieve the creamier American casual feel, turn off the burner and whisk 1-2 tsp off the burner of the mayo to achieve silk. Top it with a slice of green onion and sesame to make it familiar to the eyes.

Two notes on quality of life: (1) Dry your shrimp bone; it is the enemy of crispness. (2) Before dredging, lightly season shrimp, otherwise, over seasoning will be increased when the sweet glaze hits. In case you are batching on behalf of guests, fry first, and set the glazed portions aside on a rack held in a 95degC oven. It is so quiet, your kitchen is sociable and your shrimps are crispy. We mention the restaurant description further on, just so we can keep the flavor compass on the level–sweet + slightly spicy chili on crispy shrimp is what we are promising, and we intend to deliver.

Shrimp & fry: 600-700 g medium/large shrimp (peeled, deveined), 1 cup of cornstarch, 2/3 cup of all purpose flour, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp fine salt, 1/2 tsp white/black pepper, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, neutral frying oil. To air fry: 1-2 tbps of neutral oil or spray.

Glaze: 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce, 1-2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium, but it is all the same to me), 1-2 tbsp rice vinegar (or lemon), 1 tsp grated garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1-2 tsp honey (optional, to taste), chili flakes or sriracha to taste, mayo (optional, 1-2 tsp to make it silky).

Garnish and accompaniments Sliced green onion, sesame toasting, serve with steamed rice, jasmine, maybe, or slaw garnish.

Swaps (Lahore friendly):

Shrimp, prawns–similar procedure, time watch size.

Cornflour is commonly equal to cornstarch in its labelling; make sure texture (powdery, not grainy).

Distilled white vinegar can be used in place of rice vinegar; add some at first, then add more.

Add chili garlic sauce or lal mirch flakes to add a spicy kick in case sriracha is out of stock.

Air fryer technique in case you would rather avoid deep frying, we will see timing next.

Gluten light concept: Replace all the cornstarch in the dredge with tamari. you will lose a bit of wheat flavor to flour, and get more shatter.

Rapid mise en place maintains a low level of stress. Frozen shrimp: Thaw overnight or place in cold running water, drain and pat dry–top and bottom–until towels move away leaving preservative crust. Should you be fond of soft curves (cute, and hold more sauce), cut a shallow slit into the inside curve, before coating. Sprinkle with salt/playa/pepper. Combine and whisk cornstarch, flour, baking powder, garlic powder and pinch of salt in a bowl. Toss shrimp until you see it dusted, not coating the shrimp. When using an air fryer, spray or drizzle a little bit of oil on top of the dredged shrimp and toss to coat the outer coating–do not soak.

Oil safety: Heat oil 2-3 cm to 175-180 deg C. In the event that you have no thermometer, a pinch of dredge must sizzle immediately and float. Fry in batches (do not crowd) 90-120 seconds on each side, according to size–find pale gold and set crust. Take to rack (not paper towels) and allow steam to escape. To air fry, cook at 200degC in 6-8 minutes flipping halfway through until crisp and lightly browned; cooking time may vary depending on a model.

Sauce pot: Prepare glaze in a small pan and put the heat on low to allow it to warm and does not turn into jam. You want cling, not caramel. When it gets too thick (which it does), save by puting a little water in. When you go down the creamy lane, it is better to add mayo off the burner so that it remains creamy. Only on the rule of the last will I die, toss right before serving–no holding sauced shrimp. That is the way to retain the crispy in the name.

Here it is the dance, pan A glaze, pan B shrimp. Take A warm, not boiling, take B hot and fast. Air fry/fry your shrimp until the coating is hardened and when you beat it with tongs, you hear a small crack (you do have one, but there it is). Whilst this, shake your glaze until it glosses and tastes perfect. As soon as a batch is complete, pour into a mixing-bowl, drop on the amount of glaze required to cover (2-3 tbsp per handful) and stir quickly and pour onto a plate. Repeat. That is all–the beat is more important than the brand of equipment.

One little but could-be-helpful hint: add aromatics (garlic/ginger) to the glaze, and only cook them in a short time, keeping them perfuming without becoming bitter. You can also create a spice ladder at the table with chili flakes, sliced green chilies, even a small bowl of warmed spicy chili oil–so the spice lovers can make their own plate. The heat is described in the restaurant blurbs as mild, so you need to have your heating set at a level that all can be comfortable at home; it is simpler to put more heat on a dish than turn down a pot.

Another factoid: sometimes restaurant versions get criticized as becoming too wet (over sauced or kept too long). You have the home advantage of speed and control–smaller tosses, faster plating, and no heat lamp time. And it is not a dig, it is just the fried food physics. When you hold the glaze and shrimp apart until last minute, you will serve a better morsel than most of the dining rooms on a Friday night.

Whisk, in a small saucepan over low heat, 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce, 1 tbsp soy, 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or 2 tsp lemon), 1 tsp grated garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger. Taste: you desire good-natured sweetness and a touch of savoury with a citrus kick. In case you like a more rounder finish, then add 1-2 tsp honey. To add mild heat sprinkle chili flakes, to add punch, add 1/2-1 tsp sriracha. Do not heat too high, make it a sticky mass.

sensations test: take a spoon and drop it–ribboning is ideal. And should it flow like water, put simmers 30-45 seconds; and should it be jammy, put loosen up with a spoon of water. To achieve the slightly creamy texture that some American casual restaurant kitchens are going after, take the pan off the burner, and stir 1-2 tsp of mayo just before service. It should not have the taste of mayonnaise y; it only gives the body and stickiness.

Tossing: Add freshly fried (or air fried) shrimp to a bowl, and drizzle with enough glaze to cover (not submerge) it, toss all together with a quick toss, and slide onto a warm plate. Topped with green onion and sesame. Sauce remaining in the pan? Good–leave it on the next lot. And when your first stroke is a little too pale, you can rub on another teaspoon (oops–teaspoon) more glaze over the same part of the plate on the top right. It is always better to under sauce and make changes than to over sauce and cry.

Dredge: 1 cup cornstarch + 2/3 cup flour + 3/4 tsp baking powder + 1 tsp salt +1/2 tsp pepper +1/2 tsp garlic powder. Toss shrimp till it is dusted all over; shake off. Optional: 2 stage dip (quick water slurry then dredge) of additional craggy ridges–but already in the dry toss itself is crisp.

Frying: Oil at 175-180degC. Size of a batch: the pan must not be overcrowded. Bake 11/22 minutes each side until pale gold. Transfer to a rack, not towels. Season with a proulx of salt the minute they are landed.

Air fry: Spray or drizzle with oil. Bake at 200degC 6-8min. turning halfway; add 1min. color as required. Air fry texture is a little drier which the glaze adores.

None of the moist rules: (1) Shrimp dry in advance of dredge. (2) Oil hot. (3) Sprinkle with a bit of glaze, immediately before eating. The write ups of the restaurant refer to the Chili level as moderately mild again and again and the shrimp as crispy-so when yours is not crispy, debugging: the oil temperature was too low, the sauce was too abundant or you waited too long between tossing it and plating. They can be easily fixed: warm, glaze, simple, faster.

Serve on a hot shallow bowl or platter with a quick cabbage herb slaw (lemon + salt + tiny sugar) then heaps of glazed shrimp on top so that they remain high and proud. Sprinkle green onion and Sesame. To get that restaurant style feel then serve it with steamed jasmine rice or garlic butter noodles (thin spaghetti slicked with butter, garlic, splash of soy). Have a spice station: chili flakes, cut chili peppers, sriracha, chili oil. It allows everybody to turn their own heat.

When you need to feed a crowd the batch rhythm works best, fry everything first, put on a rack in a 95degC oven, keep the glaze warm (not boiling), and then add it as soon as the platter is presented on the table. I prefer to have two platters and not one huge one–first get lost, second come hot, no one is hurried. And no, when somebody wants additional sauce, pour it next to the shrimp, not over it. That is how you retain the crisp (and you can avoid the good grief, it is wet chorus of some of the reviews at dine in).

Flavor hints: squeeze lemon over the pile perks everything up; pinch of micro grated ginger in the glaze, adds aroma without bits; pinch of chaat masala on the plate (not in the glaze) adds the sparkle, which unexpectedly plays very well with sweet chili. Finally, make the dish you desire: you like vegetables, roast broccoli or green beans with sesame oil and soy–in a hurry, crunchy, and nice companion.

Plating Warm plate, quick slaw, with base (light, undressed or lemon kissed), stacked shrimp, scallions + sesame. Clean off any spots, the gloss sells the dish. Add a bit of crushed peanuts, to provide contrast of texture; but not a hailstorm.

Starchy: jasmine rice, or noodles with garlic, or even a crisp roti in case you are cross over.

Fresh: cucumber salad with rice vinegar and pinch of sugar; your palate is refreshed and cooled with the cool crunch.

Beverages: lemon soda, ice tea or salted lime cooler.

Heat: Have the base glaze relatively weak (per restaurant instructions) then add a choose your own heat bar: sriracha, chili flakes, hari mirch slices, chili crisp. One pot then will feed both I like gentle and give me fire. Should anybody feel like saucier bites, add spoon glaze beneath the shrimp–the bed–so that the top will be crisp.

A final make it yours tip: If you like a cream kissed glaze, combine 1-2 tsp mayo off the heat (it is a favorite in American casual kitchens). Not so fat, opt out of honey and mayo and sprinkle in more vinegar. Take your side, not another one.

Leftovers: Best plan–don’t have many. However, when you do, place unsauced fried shrimp (preferable) or sauced (satisfactory) in a shallow container without a lid in the fridge 20 minutes (to release steam), then cover. Eat within 24 hours. Re crisp unsauced shrimp in an air fryer at 190degC 3-5 mins. Reheated food will never reheat crisply; heat slowly and receive a less firm reward.

Prepare in advance: Shedding and chilling shrimp in advance on a rack will take up to 4 hours, and they will fry even better. You may make glaze a day before–store covered, warm, loosen with a teaspoon of water, if thick.

Nutrition: The restaurant starter has an approximate of 1010 calories when online, keep in mind that it has a large portion and predetermined accompaniments. Faster, lighter on your home plate: less oil uptake (right temp), less glaze, fresh not creamy sides. Assuming that you are keeping count, get fewer shrimp per head and increase the amount of veg. It is not about perfection, it is about balance, that type of balance that allows you to enjoy it more than once in a year.