Shrimp Chips (Shrimp Crackers)
Shrimp Crackers (zha xia pian, 炸虾片). Even though this is called a cracker, it is more like shrimp-flavored chips - they are extremely crispy and hard to resist. I haven't met anybody who doesn't like them (LOL)! These crackers do take some time to make so I suggest you prepare a large batch at a time. They can stay good at room temperature for months.
⏱️ Prep: 2160 min🍳 Cook: 130 min
Ingredients
| 150 g | peeled and deveined shrimp |
| 2.9 g | salt |
| 26 g | fish sauce |
| 9 g | minced garlic |
| 4.5 g | minced ginger |
| 3 g | garlic powder |
| 2.3 g | onion powder |
| 1 g | five-spice powder |
| 1.2 g | ground white pepper (or to taste) |
| 30 g | crushed ice |
| 240 g | tapioca flour |
Instructions
- Add the shrimp, salt, fish sauce, minced garlic, ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, five-spice powder, ground white pepper, and crushed ice to a food processor. Blend everything until smooth. Chef's Secret: I recommend buying smaller-sized shrimp if they are cheaper because you are grinding it anyway.
- Add the tapioca flour into the food processor in batches and keep blending at low speed until a non-stick dough forms. Chef's Secret: Other types of starch, like mung bean, potato, and cornstarch, will also work, but tapioca is best due to its higher amylopectin content, making shrimp crackers puffier and crispier. Also, different brands and types of starch have different water absorption rates; the measurement I gave is for reference only. You should adjust the amount of tapioca flour depending on the consistency of the dough.
- Roll the dough into a long, even, smooth log, and then cut the log into 2 manageable pieces.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the shrimp dough logs. They will sink to the bottom of the pot. Please stir gently so the dough doesn't stick to the bottom. After about 5 minutes, when the dough starts floating, you can stop stirring. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, transfer the dough onto a rack and chill in the fridge uncovered for 30 hours or until the dough becomes hard and firm.
- Slice the dough into 1-mm-thick pieces. Do not cut it too thick; otherwise, the crackers will be chewy and tough.
- Place all the slices on a rack and fully dehydrate them by using one of the following methods:
- Use a dehydrator to dry for 4-5 hours at 120 degrees F / 49 degrees C.
- Put it in the oven and set the temperature at the lowest possible (3 hours at 150 degrees F / 66 degrees C).
- Put the shrimp crackers under the ceiling fan overnight or until fully dried.
- Store the dehydrated crackers in a sealed container for up to 6 months.
- Whenever you want to eat the crackers, fry them in 400 degrees F / 204 degrees C oil for 30 seconds. Only fry 6-8 pieces at a time as the crackers grow big in volume.
- Remove the crackers from the oil and use paper towels to eliminate the excess grease. Serve as a snack. Ingredient Tips: Shrimp can be replaced by squid or other white fish meat. Fish sauce can be replaced with the same amount of soy sauce.