Instructions

1. Rinse your shrimp in cool water and place them in a colander to drain. Pull the legs and shell off, leaving the tails intact. Remove the vein that runs along the outside curve of the shrimp.

2. Poke the tip of a chef’s knife into the outside curve of the shrimp just above the tail. Slide the knife tip along the outer curve of the spine, deepening the groove but not cutting all the way through. Flatten out the shrimp with your fingers.

3. Fill the bottom of a pie plate with panko bread crumbs. You can use regular bread crumbs, flour, corn meal or fish fry mix but panko bread crumbs work especially well with shrimp because of their light and crispy texture.

4. Pour a small amount of milk into a second pie plate -- about enough to cover the bottom of the plate. Beat an egg into the milk with a whisk, blending the milk and egg until the mixture is thick and creamy.

5. Season the milk with salt and pepper to taste. You can also add other seasonings, such as ginger, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder.

6. Dip the shrimp one at a time into the milk and egg and then roll them in the panko bread crumbs. Place the coated shrimp on a plate and set them aside.

7. Fill the bottom of a skillet with canola, vegetable or peanut oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a bit of flour flicked into the pan sizzles and pops.

8. Place six to eight shrimp into the hot oil. Cook them for no more than one minute per side, and then turn them with tongs. Cook them until they are golden brown on both sides. Set the shrimp on a plate lined with paper towels to drain as they come out of the hot oil.