Why is it called ebi furai and and not ebi katsu? Because katsu dishes have cutlets. Whether it's pork, chicken, beef or vegetables, katsu requires cutting the main ingredient into a piece with uniform thickness. In cooking ebi furai, the shrimps are shelled and deveined (the tails are left on) but cooked whole. No cutlets. So, it's not katsu.For prepping the shrimps so they don't curl during cooking, see the detailed instructions.
Shell and devein the shrimps. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt and a bit of pepper.
Place the flour, egg and panko in three separate shallow bowls. Beat the egg.
Holding the shrimp by the tail, dredge each in flour; shake off the excess. Repeat with the rest of the shrimps.
Dip the floured shrimps one by one in beaten egg.
Roll the shrimps one by one in panko to coat every inch of the surface.
Heat enough cooking oil to reach a depth of at least three inches.
Cooking in batches of four to six, drop the breaded shrimps in the hot oil and cook until the coating is golden and crisp, about a minute per batch. Scoop out and rest the fried shrimps on a rack.
Serve the ebi furai with tartar sauce (traditional), sweet chili sauce (not traditional but excellent) or tempura sauce (great choice as well).