Honey Walnut Shrimp

Honey walnut shrimp comes from Hong Kong’s banquet kitchens, a dish of crispy fried shrimp folded into a creamy, lightly sweet sauce and crowned with candied walnuts. The contrast is everything: hot and crisp, cool and creamy, sweet and salty all in one bite. It is the dish children ask for and grown-ups pretend to share, and it looks fancy but comes together in under an hour.

Crispy shrimp in a creamy honey cloud

The shrimp get a quick cornstarch fry so they stay shatter-crisp under the sauce, which is mayonnaise lightened with condensed milk and lemon. Candied walnuts — simmered in sugar syrup and fried until glassy — add the crunch that makes it unforgettable. Fry the shrimp in batches so they stay crisp, never crowded, and serve over steamed rice; the sauce begs to be eaten with every grain. It is the dish you order at banquets and immediately regret sharing, so make the full amount.

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