Toss the shrimp in a bowl with lots of salt and pepper and the
Wondra flour. Set aside.
In a pan large enough to hold all the shrimp, heat the clarified
butter until smoking hot*. Tilt the pan away from you so the
butter doesn’t splash you, and add all the shrimp.
Don’t touch the shrimp for the first 30 seconds or so and then
peek underneath to see if they’re browning. Give them a toss,
make a clear spot in the middle of the pan, and add the onions
there. Cook for another 30 seconds and add the ginger.
Stir, add another hit of salt and pepper, and add the sugar. Stir
again, add the herbs, and toss to combine.
Finally, add the soy sauce. Cook for another 15 seconds and
then serve immediately with rice.
* Wondra flour is a barley flour that doesn’t get gummy when
you sauté it, which is why Davis uses it here.* This step is key. If you notice the butter starting to brown, that
means you haven’t clarified it properly and, therefore, won’t be
able to get it hot enough to really sear the shrimp. If that
happens, start again and use canola oil or another oil with a high
smoke point (vegetable, grapeseed) instead.