Sugar Shrimp Bao with Pickled Cucumbers & Ginger Lime Sauce
Sugar Shrimp
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Pickled Cucumbers
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili crisp oil
Ginger Lime Sauce
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup sour cream
Juice of 1 lime (1 1/2 tablespoons)
Zest of 1 lime
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
Pinch of salt
To Serve
Steamed bao buns
Chopped chives
Directions
Sugar shrimp: Preheat oven to 475F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Mix the brown sugar, panko, flour, garlic powder, white pepper, ground ginger, and cayenne in a bowl. Pat the shrimp dry, dip each in the melted butter, then coat in the sugar-spice mixture. Bake 6-8 minutes until pink and the coating is bubbling and caramelized. Broil 1-2 minutes for more crisp if desired (watch closely, it burns fast).
Pickled cucumbers: Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and chili crisp in a bowl. Toss in the cucumbers and let sit 20-30 minutes.
Ginger lime sauce: Whisk all the sauce ingredients together until smooth. Chill until ready to use.
Assemble: Steam the bao buns and gently open. Add a few pickled cucumbers, tuck in 2-3 crispy shrimp, drizzle generously with the ginger lime sauce, and garnish with chopped chives.
