Honey walnut shrimp just like Panda Express! Tempura-battered shrimp, tossed with a honey sauce and candied walnuts. Took a much needed day off to be with the kids and this is what we had for lunch! 

Ingredients:

1 pound 15-16 count medium raw shrimp , peeled, deveined, tails removed
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
3/4 cup tempura flour (or sub with cornstarch) you may need less
1 egg (whisked)
1 1/2 cups frying oil
1 green onion sliced for garnish

Candied Walnuts

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup walnuts halves

Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise* or kewpie mayo
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
2 tablespoon honey
*{Kewpie} Japanese mayo – is creamier, sweeter, and tangy than regular mayo.

Instructions:

1. Heat 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add sugar and stir constantly, until golden, add walnuts and mix to coat. Transfer to a silicone mat or paper-lined plate and cool.
2. Prepare the honey walnut sauce by mixing the Kewpie mayo, honey and condensed milk in a bowl.
3. Butterfly the shrimp by making a shallow slit cut at the back of the shrimp.
4. Next, marinate the shrimp with garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and salt 10-20 mins. 
5. Whisk the egg and pour over the shrimp
6. Add the tempura flour and toss to cover the shrimp adding 1 tsp ice cold water to create a batter if needed.
7. Heat oil to 350  a wok and set it on medium heat. 
8. In batches, not crowding, fry the shrimp for 3-4 minutes until they turn pink, curl, and get a golden exterior 
9. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper-towel-lined plate, fry remaining shrimp.
10. to double fry- once all the shrimp are done- crank up the heat and once the oil is hot, fry the shrimp again for 1-2 minutes until crispy and deep golden. 
11. Then, transfer the shrimp onto on a paper-towel-lined plate 
12. Pour the sauce into a saucepan, and warm it for 1 minute.
13. Add the shrimp onto the sauce and mix. Add the walnuts and take the shrimp off the pan and garnish with green onions.
14. Serve with jasmine rice.
    
    

Notes:

Honey Walnut Shrimp without condensed milk: If you don’t want to open a whole can of condensed milk to only use 1 tablespoon of it for the sauce, you can substitute it with 1 1/2 tablespoons of honey instead. It will be just as delicious, the only difference is it won’t look as creamy. 

Don’t mix the hot shrimp with the cook sauce sauce: Make sure the shrimp is slightly cool, before mixing it in the mayonnaise sauce. If the shrimp is hot, it will melt the mayonnaise.

Can I make it dairy-free? Yes you can! Use coconut condensed milk

Cut a deeper slit along the spine of the shrimp: To make your honey walnut shrimp just like Panda Express, butterfly the shrimp. This provides more surface area for the coating and even cooking.