Foodies have gone ga-ga over Bang Bang Shrimp. The Panko-coated crustaceans overlaid with a mayo and sweet chili sauce is the star attraction at Bonefish Grill, where it comes as an appetizer large enough to feed a table of four. You can also chose BBS as the filling for a po’ boy sandwich or as a salad topping. Another national eatery, Cheesecake Factory, offers the dish as a shrimp and chicken combo.
Whichever way they’re served, they are addictive little morsels. The dish is easy to duplicate and the Internet abounds with copycat recipes, here, here and here.
An innovative food blogger at www.damndelicious.com came up with a poultry version, Bang Bang Chicken, that he vows is the best ever. (Food writers are not restrained in their descriptions of food.) BBC looks like chicken nuggets with a cool sauce that both grandpa and the kids would eat.
In the interest of calorie cutting, some fans of the dish have replaced the Panko coating with corn starch, they claim without detriment. It may be okay, but the Panko definitely adds crunch. Drop the Panko and you loose some of the bang. By comparison, I couldn’t tell that it made that big a difference in calories. So go with the original recipe.
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