My kids really like take out, but there's so little quality control. And since this dish was so easy to prepare and offered restaurant quality results, I felt good to have dinner come together and keep everyone happy in less time than it would have taken to wait for takeout. For the vegan use the same preparation with drained and pressed tofu cut into rectangles.
-1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (21-25 per pound)
-¼ cup cornstarch
-3 TBSPs sesame seeds (white, black or a mix)
-1 whole egg plus one large egg white only
-¼ tsp salt
-¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
-2 tsps canola oil, divided
-1/2 cup orange juice
-¼ cup dry sherry or Cognac
-2 TBSPs reduced-sodium soy sauce (Tamari for Gluten-free)
-1 tsp sugar (don't use to keep Paleo)
-1 scallion, thinly sliced
Whisk sesame seeds, eggs, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add half the shrimp and cook until golden, about two minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the rest of the shrimp. Add orange juice, cognac, soy sauce and sugar to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced by half, about five minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately over rice and top with sliced scallions. Here I served with steamed broccoli.