Squash & Shrimp Ukoy

Name: Squash & Shrimp Ukoy
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 180 g Butternut squash; 150 g Raw peeled shrimp; 30 g Scallions; 60 g Cornstarch; 40 g All purpose flour; 1 whole Egg; 140 ml Water; 0.5 tsp Salt; 0.25 tsp Black pepper; 450 ml Neutral cooking oil; 60 ml Rice vinegar; 3 g Garlic; 6 g Sugar; 0.25 tsp Red chili flakes

Thin, crisp squash fritters with juicy shrimp and scallions, served with a sharp chili-garlic dip.

55 minutes · Intermediate · 4 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Butternut squash180 g
Raw peeled shrimp150 g
Scallions30 g
Cornstarch60 g
All purpose flour40 g
Egg1 whole
Water140 ml
Salt0.5 tsp
Black pepper0.25 tsp
Neutral cooking oil450 ml
Rice vinegar60 ml
Garlic3 g
Sugar6 g
Red chili flakes0.25 tsp

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Crustacean shellfish, wheat and egg.

Method

Prepare the squash and shrimp

Weigh the squash after peeling and removing seeds, then grate it into fine short shreds. Thinly slice the scallions. Use about twelve small shrimp, thawed in the fridge if frozen; remove tails, devein and pat very dry. Halve larger shrimp lengthwise so every fritter gets an even share. Keep raw shrimp and its utensils separate from ready-to-eat food.

Mix the dip

Finely chop the garlic. Stir it with vinegar, sugar, chili flakes and 40 ml of the water. Set a wire rack over a tray. Heat the oil in a deep 20 cm wide pan to 175°C, giving approximately 1.5 cm depth; do not fill the pan more than one-third full.

Make a light batter

Whisk cornstarch, flour, egg, salt, pepper and the remaining 100 ml cold water until smooth. Fold in the squash and scallions just before frying. The batter should coat the shreds rather than form a stiff dough. Divide the mixture mentally into twelve portions.

Fry thin fritters

For each fritter, put one portion of squash mixture on a broad metal spoon, press a share of shrimp into it and carefully slide into the oil. Flatten gently to a 7–8 cm disc no thicker than 8 mm. Cook three at a time for 3–4 minutes per side, until crisp, the squash is tender and the thickest shrimp and centre reach 74°C on a thin-tip food thermometer. Keep oil near 175°C and allow it to recover between batches.

Drain and share

Lift cooked fritters onto the rack using clean utensils. Serve immediately, three per person, with the vinegar dip. Thin fritters stay crisper than thick mounds; allow additional batches and cooking time if increasing the yield.

The squash weight is prepared flesh. The oil amount is a shallow-frying bath, not the amount absorbed. Use a narrow probe inserted sideways to check the shrimp and fritter centre.

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