Ebi Fry (Deep Fried Shrimp and Japanese Tartar Sauce)

Servings: 4

Ingredients
12 large shrimp (deveined but tails still intact)
1 cup Japanese panko breadcrumbs​
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg (gently beaten)
Canola oil for deep frying

For the Tartar sauce:
1 egg (boiled and finely chopped)
2 tablespoons onion (finely minced)
2 tablespoons pickle (finely minced)
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Dash salt (or to taste)
Dash black pepper (or to taste)
Optional: 1/2 cup green cabbage ( finely shredded)

Instructions
Clean the shrimp. Remove heads and shells from shrimp without removing tails. If the shrimp have not been deveined, simply cut a slit on the back of the shrimp to remove the black innards (looks like a string) using a toothpick to lift the vein out.
Make a few incisions on the stomach side of the shrimp and lightly press the back of the shrimp to straighten it out. This will prevent the shrimp from curling when it is cooked.
Pat the shrimp dry using paper towels.
Set up a work station with three shallow dishes. Place flour in the first, beaten egg in the second, and panko breadcrumbs in the last dish. Be sure to add a touch of salt and black pepper to the flour, which helps to add flavor to the ebi fry.
First, dust the shrimp in flour lightly.
Then, dip the flour coated shrimp in the egg wash.
Finally, place the shrimp in the panko dish and make sure that the shrimp is coated completely with panko bread crumbs.
Set up large plate or platter covered with paper towels to drain the shrimp after its been fried.
In a deep pan, heat oil to about 340 to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fry breaded shrimp until brown, turning over once, and then let the shrimp drain. Let the shrimp rest for a moment.
Make the tartar sauce if you prefer this over using Japanese bottled tonkatsu sauce.
Mix the finely chopped boiled egg, minced onion and pickles, and mayonnaise all together in a small bowl.
Season the tartar sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Place ebi fry on a plate along with some tartar sauce on the side and finely shredded cabbage. Serve immediately.