Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   1      pound         fresh shrimp -- (medium)
   1      cup           water -- cold
   1      tablespoon    vodka
   2      cups          oil -- for deep-frying
   1 1/2  teaspoons     salt
   6      tablespoons   salt -- coarse
     1/8  teaspoon      white pepper
     1/2  teaspoon      black peppercorns
   1      cup           all-purpose flour
   2      tablespoons   Szechuan peppercorns
   2      teaspoons     baking powder

Preparation:

Carefully remove the shells from the shrimp, leaving the tail sections intact. Devein and wash under cold running water; pat dry with paper towels. In a dish or bowl, marinate briefly in a mixture of the vodka, salt, and pepper while you make the batter. In a mixing, put the flour and baking powder; gradually add the cold water, whisking until smooth. In a wok, heat the 2 cup of oil until it reaches 350F. Add 1 tablespoon of the hot oil to the batter and stir to combine. Take a shrimp by the tail and dip it into the batter (do not dip the tail), then slide it into the hot oil. Deep-fry all the shrimp, a few at a time, until golden brown. This should take about 2 minutes for each batch. Drain on paper towels, and serve tails up, in a serving dish, with the salt/pepper mixture for dipping. Makes 8 to 10 appetizer servings. FOR DIPPING: In a bowl, combine coarse salt and the peppercorns. In a dry frying pan over high heat, brown the salt/pepper mixture. When browned remove and run the mixture through a grinder. Recipe by: "Chinese Appetizers" by Verdi Published by Irene Chalmers Cookbooks, 1981