Honey Walnut Shrimp (Minus the Walnuts)

Simply put, honey walnut shrimp (hé táo xiā) is one of my favorite Chinese dishes, and one of the best ways to eat shrimp. Period. This delicate and sweet dish is definitely worth the high price you’ll usually pay for it in most Chinese restaurants, but my make-at-home recipe is both inexpensive and easy to pull off.

I omitted this dish’s trademark candied walnuts because they’re chock-full of sugar, and the walnuts aren’t the same without the candy coating anyway. And honestly, I prefer the shrimp in its pure, unadulterated form.

You’ll Need:
1 lb shrimp (peeled, and deveined w/ tails removed)
1/2 cup potato starch
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp coconut milk
1 egg white
juice of 1/2 lemon (1 tsp)
3 tbsp coconut oil

Mix together the mayo, honey, coconut milk and lemon juice and set aside. Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok on med/high heat for 3-5 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the shrimp with the egg white and dip them in the potato starch until they’re evenly coated. Add the shrimp (in two batches) to the pan and fry on each side until they are golden brown. When they’re done place them on some paper towels for a minute or two to drain.

In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the mayo mixture, and serve immediately.

This dish is quick, easy and impressive. Not to mention totally delicious. Whip it out when you have guests over!

9 thoughts on “Honey Walnut Shrimp (Minus the Walnuts)”

  2. hey, we need to go low carb for medical reasons (family member has had seizures=need ketogenic). Do you think this is worth experimenting w/almond or coconut flour?
    Love your site!
    Your Baltimore – and fellow honeypig fan – fan

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    1. Hi Cindy, I think that almond or coconut flour would probably not give the same consistency in the outer shell, but it wouldn’t be all that bad. I would go with coconut flour, personally. If you do try it, let me know. I’m not particularly smart on the carb content of starch products, but is tapioca starch any better? My guess is no, but that would be a fair alternative to potato starch (which in itself is an alternative to corn starch) if texture is a concern…hope that helps!

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    1. Noy, if you are not excluding corn from your diet, corn starch is fine. The going consensus in the Paleo/Ancestral community is that humans haven’t fully adapted to cereal grains (corn among them) and should be avoided when possible due to their potential toxicity. Just the same, some people have adverse effects when consuming potato starch, since it’s a nightshade, so some people avoid that as well. So, really, pick your poison :) Arrowroot starch would work in this case as well, but it has a tendency to make the food a little gray and unappealing in color.

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