Tortillitas de camarones — thin, crisp shrimp fritters

Use minute camarones from a seafood supplier, intended for frying and eating whole. Keep their thin shells and little heads; do not treat large hard-shelled prawns this way. Thoroughly drain and pat the thawed chilled product dry with paper towels, then weigh the listed amount. Chop the scallion and parsley very finely so they do not form thick pieces in the thin batter.

Mix both flours and salt in a bowl, gradually pouring in 300 ml cold water. Whisk out lumps, then fold in all the shrimp, scallion, and parsley. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. The batter should be fluid and run easily off a spoon, not behave like thick pancake batter.

Pour all the oil into a deep-sided pan about 28 cm in diameter with a base about 24 cm across; it will form a layer about 1 cm deep. Heat to about 175–180°C, without smoking. A small amount of batter should bubble and rise immediately, but not darken at once. Stir the chilled batter; if it has thickened during the rest and does not spread easily, gradually stir in only as much of the reserved cold water as needed. Keep the remaining batter refrigerated between ladling out portions.

Scoop about 30 ml batter, about two tablespoons, and pour close to the oil, moving the spoon slightly to form a thin fritter about 10–11 cm across. Immediately spread it gently with the back of the spoon before it sets; do not leave a thick mound. Fry for about 1.5–2 minutes on each side, about 3–4 minutes in total, turning with a wide spatula once the underside firms. The finished fritter should be golden and thin, without wet batter, and the shrimp must be completely fried. Serve the first one too, even if its edges are less lacy; use it to adjust the heat and spreading of the next portions.

Stir before every scoop because the shrimp and flour settle. Fry no more than two fritters at once, leaving a gap and keeping the same cooking time on each side. Let the oil heat back up between batches; lower the heat if the fritters darken quickly, and wait before adding more if they barely sizzle and soak up fat. Use all the batter, including the remainder at the bottom of the bowl; it makes about 20 pieces, and the last may be smaller. Allow about 60 minutes for heating the oil and frying every batch, including the first trial.

Lift the cooked fritters with a slotted turner, let the oil drip off, and briefly place them on paper. Then transfer to a rack or plate in a single layer and serve each batch immediately. Do not cover them and do not stack them, as steam will soften the thin edges. Divide all the fritters among four snack servings; do not add the remaining pan oil or the fat on the paper to the serving.