Try this Chitty Chitty Bang Bang recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 24.9629750086226 g
- Cholesterol 228.120000035505 mg
- Fat 62.2488575333744 g
- Fiber 4.47175005505692 g
- Protein 8.19020000060865 g
- Saturated Fat 8.7362541949471 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (717g)
- Sodium 1933.18500080849 mg
- Sugar 20.4912249535656 g
- Trans Fat 34.4846919670773 g
- Calories 699 calories
Step-by-step
- To make the sauce, mix mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and hot chili sauce until well blended. Set aside.
- While oil is heating, dredge shrimp in cornstarch, then dip in beaten egg, then dredge again in Panko crumbs.
- Fry shrimp, in batches if needed, until golden brown. Drain on paper towel lined plate.
- Toss in Bang Bang sauce. Plate on bed of lettuce, sprinkled with chopped green onions.
Swapping mayonnaise for Greek yogurt in the sauce base introduces higher water content and distinct casein proteins that prevent proper emulsification with the chili components, resulting in a watery coating that immediately softens the outer crust. Maintaining structural integrity in fried proteins requires absolute control over moisture migration. Dredging the shrimp first in cornstarch creates a fine, hydrophobic barrier that traps internal juices while providing a porous surface for the beaten egg to grip. Skipping the cornstarch step leaves bare patches where steam escapes violently during frying, blowing off the panko breadcrumbs and creating greasy, uneven spots. Panko differs from standard breadcrumbs through its coarse, flaky geometry, which traps pockets of air and expands when exposed to hot oil. Maintaining an oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit ensures the starch gelatinizes rapidly and the exterior dehydrates before the delicate shrimp meat overcooks inside. Overcrowding the pan drops the oil temperature precipitously, which allows the coating to absorb excessive fat rather than frying cleanly. On the chemical front, capsaicin from the hot chili sauce dissolves into the lipid phase of the mayonnaise emulsion, distributing heat evenly across the palate while the simple sugars in the sweet chili component caramelize slightly against any exposed breadcrumb edges. Fry the shrimp in small batches for approximately two to three minutes per batch, watching closely for a deep golden hue before transferring them to wire racks rather than solid paper towels. Wire racks permit air circulation underneath the fried items, stopping steam from condensing on the bottom crust and preserving the crucial crunch until the moment of service.
