Curry Shrimp Rolls

Curry shrimp rolls are a wonderful appetizer. Also known as firecracker prawns, the shrimp are dipped in a red curry/fish sauce blend, which gives them their fiery kick.

There’s no real secret to making these turn out spectacularly. Just make sure to score the underside of the shrimp so they initially lie flat.

Here’s how to wrap the shrimp:

What you’ll need

• Large prawns or shrimp (8 – 12 count per pound. Smaller shrimp don’t work well for this recipe)
• 1 large wonton wrapper for each shrimp
• 2t red curry paste
• 2T fish sauce
•  1 egg white, lightly beaten
•  Neutral oil, for deep-frying
•  Thai sweet chili sauce, for dipping

What to do

Begin heating your oil to 375 degrees F in whatever vessel you’re using for frying.

Peel and devein your shrimp, if that’s not already done. Make a series of shallow, crosswise cuts along the underside of the shrimp. Cut just enough into the shrimp to sever the muscle that curls the shrimp when it cooks. They will still curl a bit, after they cook, though. Be careful not to cut all the way through.

Mix the curry paste and fish sauce in a small, shallow bowl. You’ll need to dredge each shrimp in the curry sauce and wrap it in a wonton wrapper before frying.

Here are the instructions for wrapping, or you can just follow the photos above. To wrap a shrimp after dredging it in the curry sauce:

1. Lay a wonton wrapper diagonally on your work surface. Take the bottom corner and fold it about 75% to the top corner.
2. Lay a shrimp, tail-down, with the “head” starting at the top of the folded-up corner. A fair amount of the shrimp’s tail will stick out.
3. Fold the left corner over the shrimp, making it snug within the wrapper.
4. Fold the topmost corner down over the shrimp. That top corner you folded down will be even with the bottom fold of the wrapper.
5. Brush some egg white across the wrapper to the right of the shrimp and roll the shrimp up in the remaining flat part of the wrapper. The egg white should seal the wrapper.

When the oil reaches temperature, fry the shrimp in batches by carefully lowering them into the oil by their tails. Don’t crowd the oil. Fry them for 5 – 7 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through. Remove from the oil with a wire spider and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Let them cool a bit before serving with Thai sweet chili sauce.