shrimp

  • Beer Battered Coconut Prawns

    Beer Battered Coconut Prawns
    Beer Battered Coconut Prawns
    (Serves)


    Beer Batter
    12 shrimp, 16/20
    1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
    1/2 cup flour
    2 cups canola or vegetable oil for frying


    NOTES: You can butterfly the shrimp (continue the split with a knife until almost cut through), to reduce cooking time. Also if you can\t find unsweetened coconut, you can use sweetened variety, just be careful because the sugars in it will brown and burn a bit faster.
     

    De-shell and clean the shrimp. Rinse them in cold water and give them a firm squeeze to eliminate as much liquid as you can. Use a couple paper towels to dry the shrimp off completely.

    Set up your breading line, first your flour, then your beer batter, next to a paper plate with your shredded coconut, next to that, a plate lined with wax paper to rest the shrimp.

    Coat he shrimp in flour, shaking off the excess. Holding the shrimp by the tail, dip into the beer batter, tapping lightly on the sides of the bowl shaking off the excess batter. Then roll in the shrimp in the coconut flakes and place in the wax paper lined plate. When done pop the shrimp in the refrigerator while you heat the oil to 350 deg. F. in a fry pan, cast iron or other pan.

    Once the oil is at temp. add a few shrimp but don't crowd the pan, let flip after a minute to 90 seconds, total 4-5 minutes or until done.

  • Beer Battered Shrimp Taco with Pineapple Salsa

    Beer Battered Shrimp Taco with Pineapple Salsa
    Beer Battered Shrimp Taco with Pineapple Salsa
    (Serves 4)

    Beer Batter
    ¾ can of beer, (8oz)
    1/3 cup flour, white all purpose
    ½ tblsp garlic, dried granulated
    ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
    ½ tsp black pepper
    1 tsp salt

    32-40 shrimp
    1&rac12; tsp Tony Chachere's Cajun Spice
    1½ - 2 cups of canola oil (or other frying oil)
    ½ Roma tomato, diced very small
    1/3 red onion, diced very small
    1 jalapeno, most of the seeds can be removed, diced very small
    ¼ - 1/3 cup pineapple, diced very small
    ½ carrot, cut into small sticks (julienne) then dice small
    ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, minced
    juice of ½ lime
    5 cabbage leaves, julienne very thin
    8 soft taco shells, corn or flour (I prefer corn in this recipe)
    ½ cup shredded cheese, any variety, I used the mozzarella/provolone blend

    NOTES: I used the 25 per lb shrimp, if you are using smaller shrimp, say the 50 per pound then double the amount of shrimp, on the other end if you're using 12 per pound shrimps, use half as many shrimp, @20.

    In a medium bowl mix the flour, garlic, cayenne, black pepper and salt. Add the beer slowly, mixing with a whisk or fork until the batter resembles glue, then add a little more beer. Keep cold until ready to use.

    Make your salsa right away, so it has time "to marry" inside a bowl. Mix well, the tomato, onion, jalapeno, pineapple, carrot, mint leaves, 1 tsp salt and the juice of ½ lime. Set aside or in the fridge.

    Slice up and set aside your cabbage, set aside or in the fridge

    Get your oil in a small pot and bring it up to 365°F using a hot oil thermometer. Otherwise medium heat but a smidgen more. If the oil smokes too much its too hot. You can test the heat with a drop of batter, it should crisp up alone in 8-10 seconds.

    Coat your shrimp with Tony' Chachere's Cajun spice (or just use salt and pepper). Dip your shrimp in the batter. I do 4-5 at a time. Put the shrimps, one at a time, into the hot oil. Leave in until crispy golden in color, about 1+½ minutes. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

    All those steps could be done in advance. When guests arrive, pop the shrimps back in the oven on warming temp and start a skillet on medium heat, one by one heat up one side of the tortilla, flip it over, add some cheese, let it melt remove from heat and assemble the taco. Tortilla, cheese, shrimp (4-5 per taco), a small hand-full of shredded cabbage and some delicious pineapple salsa on top, don't be scared, heap it on!

    Repeat three more times for round one!

    Start round two after you've eaten the first one, or just get it over with :) Delicious - enjoy!

  • Cajun Jambalaya

    Cajun Jambalaya
    Cajun Jambalaya
    (Serves 6-8)


    [The Holy Trinity]
    1 Bell Pepper Finely diced
    1 Large Onion Finely diced
    4 Celery stalks Finely diced

    Proteins
    1 lb Andouille sausage sliced
    1 lb shrimp (26/30), peeled & cleaned

    Seasonings for Shrimp
    2 tsp Tony Chacheres Creole Spice

    Spices and other ingredients needed
    2 cups long grained Louisiana Rice
    3 1/2 - 4 cups Chicken stock
    2 tblsp vegetable oil
    1 tblsp Kitchen Bouquet
    1 tblsp Tomato paste
    1 tblsp Seasoning salt
    3 Garlic cloves finely diced, approximately 2 tsp.
    1/2 tsp Oregano
    1/2 tsp Thyme
    1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

    Garnish
    1/2 cup Green onions chopped
    1/4 cup Parsley chopped


    NOTES:Mahatma brand rice is Louisiana Long Grained rice. 26/30 is the shrimp size, 26 to 30 shrimp per pound is a medium sized shrimp, once you get to U15 (under 15 shrimp per pound they are quite large!), whereas 36/45 they are tiny. So the higher the number, the smaller the shrimp!
     

    Dice onions, celery, and bell pepper into small pieces. Set aside.
    Cut andouille into thin rounds. Set aside.
    Coat shrimp in Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning. Set aside.

    Heat oil in large pot or dutch oven.
    Add andouille sausage to pot and brown for approximately 5 minutes. Set aside.
    Brown the shrimp on both sides, no longer then 5 minutes. Set aside.
    Add onions, celery, and bell pepper to pot. Reduce heat to medium and cook for approximately 7 minutes, stirring and scraping bottom of pan to release bits of sausage from bottom of pot.

    Add the chopped garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Add the sausage, chicken stock, Kitchen Bouquet, seasoning salt, thyme, oregano, and Old Bay to the pot and bring to a boil.
    Add the rice and return to a boil.
    Cover and reduce to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Add your shrimp in, finish cooking another 5-10 minutes or when the liquid disapears or rice is cooked.
    Sprinkle the green onions and parsley over each serving for garnish. Enjoy!

  • Cajun Shrimp and Corn Hush Puppies

    Cajun Shrimp and Corn Hush Puppies
    Cajun Shrimp and Corn Hush Puppies
    (Serves 8)


    1 cup yellow corn meal
    1 tblsp all purpose flour
    1/2 tsp baking soda
    2 tsp onion powder
    1 tsp sugar
    1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning
    1 egg, beaten
    5-6 tblsp buttermilk
    1 cup corn niblets
    8 ounces chopped, cooked shrimp
    1 Serrano Chili, deseeded and minced
    2 tblsp white onion, minced
    2 tblsp sun dried tomatoes, minced
    1 green onion, thinly sliced (optional)
    Vegetable Oil for frying


    NOTES:
     

    Heat oil to 350 degrees.
    Mix all ingredients together, except the buttermilk. Once ingredients are mixed well, add the buttermilk a tblsp at a time until the entire mix just sticks together. You don't want it wet.

    Drop heaping tablespoons of the batter into the hot oil and fry for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown and cooked though.

  • Glutinous Rice Dumplings

    Glutinous Rice Dumplings (Hom Sui Gok)
    Glutinous Rice Dumplings (Hom Sui Gok)
    (Makes 20)


    Filling:
    3 dried black mushrooms
    3 dried shiitake mushrooms
    2½ ounces ground pork
    1½ ounces raw medium shrimp
    ¼ cup chopped green onion
    1 tablespoons sesame oil
    1 tablespoon soy sauce
    1 tablespoon oyster sauce
    1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine
    ½ teaspoon sugar
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    1/8 teaspoon freshly-ground white pepper

    Wrapper:
    3/4 pound glutinous rice flour
    1/2 cup sugar
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1 cup water
    3 tablespoons gin

    Vegetable oil for deep-frying



    NOTES: This is a Dim Sum Central recipe. I lowered the sesame oil from 2 tblsp to 1 and I substituted half the black fungus for shiitake mushrooms.
     

    Soften the dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water, remove the stems and finely chop.

    Remove the shrimp shells, de-vein and mince.

    In a medium bowl, combine the mushrooms, pork, shrimp, green onion, sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster-flavored sauce, wine, sugar, salt and white pepper. Mix well.

    Fry the mix over med./ high heat for a few minutes until cooked through.

    In a large mixing bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour, sugar and baking powder. Make a well in the center. Pour the water and gin into well, stirring with chopsticks or a fork until the dough forms a ball. Place dough onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.

    Cut the dough in half and roll each half into a 10-inch cylinder. Cut each cylinder into ten 1-inch pieces. Roll each portion into a ball and cover with a damp towel.

    With your finger tips flatten one portion of the dough into a 2-inch circle. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling onto the circle and gather the edges together and pinch to seal. Roll into an oval shape. Continue until all the dumplings are prepared.

    Fry dumplings in 2 inches of oil heated to 350 degrees about 3 minutes until they float to the top and turn golden brown. Remove with the strainer or slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

  • Gumbo, Shrimp and Sausage

    Gumbo, Shrimp & Sausage
    Gumbo, Shrimp & Sausage
    (Serves 4)


    1/4 cup vegetable oil
    1 pound Andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices (or smoked sausage)
    1/3 cup all-purpose flour
    5 tablespoons butter

    The Holy Trinity
    1 large onion, chopped fine
    1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
    3 stalks celery, chopped fine

    4 cloves garlic minced
    1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
    salt, to taste
    pepper, to taste
    Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, to taste
    1/4 bunch flat leaf (Italian) parsley, coarsely chopped (plus chopped leaves for garnish)
    2 tsp gumbo file
    4 cups chicken stock
    1/2 can (3 oz) of hunts tomato paste
    1 lb sliced okra
    1 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined [36/40]
    1 can (10oz) or more good quality crab meat w/juice
    2-4 green onions diced
    long grained white rice, cooked, optional


    NOTES: Gumbo File (1 tblsp), a Roux (flour and butter or oil or pork fat) and/or okra, will all thicken the gumbo on their own, so you can use one of these in this recipe and adjust the other accordingly. Remember that the darker the roux, the longer it will take to thicken a liquid. Also, it doesn't matter if your using fresh or frozen okra, as long as you cook it 30 minutes or more the 'sliminess' will be gone. Personally I added a tsp of each spice listed, to taste. You can remove the crab from this recipe or you can add more, adjust your thickening agent accordingly! The holy trinity is the Cajun and Louisiana Creole variant of mirepoix; traditional mirepoix is two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery, whereas the holy trinity is typically one or two parts onions, one part green bell pepper, and one part celery.
     

    Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until browned on both sides and remove.
    Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the oil and then add in the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes.
    Do not go too brown and burn the roux if your using butter.

    Lower the heat to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter.
    Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery and cook for 10 minutes.

    Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the parsley (except the garnish parsley). Cook for 10 minutes, stir frequently.

    Add the 4 cups chicken stock while whisking. Add the sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.

    Add the tomato paste and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Salt and pepper to taste.

    Add the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes. Just before serving, add the green onions and chopped parsley.

  • Kung Pau Shrimp

    King Pau
    Kung Pao
    (Serves 4)


    Protein
    1 lb your choice: shrimp, beef, pork, chicken or firm tofu, cut into equal 1 inch pieces (keep shrimp whole if using, but de-shell and de-vein)
    3-4 tblsp peanut oil, for shallow frying your protein OR 2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying your protein

    Protein Marinade
    1 tblsp mirin (rice wine)
    1 tsp salt
    1 tsp onion powder, optional

    Protein Slurry
    1 lg egg white
    2 tblsp corn starch

    Kung Pao Sauce
    1 tblsp Dou Ban Jiang (Broad Bean Paste)
    1 tbsp of light soy sauce
    1 tsp of dark soy sauce
    1.5 tbsp of black vinegar
    a handful of red dried chilies
    1 tsp of Sichuan (Szechuan) peppercorns, ground
    1 tbsp of garlic
    1 tsp of ginger
    2 tbsp of brown sugar
    1/2 cup of water
    2 tsp of cornstarch

    Vegetables
    4 or 5 green onions, sliced
    1/2 onion, sliced in half then thin
    1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thin
    1/2 Serrano chili, optional
    Optional, Another half cup of vegetables, your choice, like green beans, carrots, etc, sliced thin

    At the end extras
    1/4 cup shelled peanuts, toasted
    5-10 dried chilis, toasted
    1 cup Jasmin rice, cooked

    NOTES: I add the Serrano chili for extra heat, you do not have to. You can make this with cut up chicken breast and have kung pao chicken. The Szechuan Peppercorns give a numbing floral quality which is key to the Sichuan province in China where the dish comes from. At the 3:46 second mark of this video will show you the "velveting" technique. Technically you would finish the "velveting" process by dunking the protein briefly in hot oil or water, which we are not doing here. To cook the rice, rinse the rice in a bowl of water, drain and repeat 3 times (or until the water runs clear). Add rice to sauce pan, add water 1/3 inch over the top of the rice. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the rice to a boil and reduce the heat immediately to simmer and cover the pot and set your timer for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, unless there's excess water, turn off the heat, using a fork fluff the rice and then keep covered for an additional few minutes. If there's additional water after 8 minutes you can turn up the heat briefly until the water evaporates.
     

    Mix the shrimp, salt, onion powder and mirin. Add the cornstarch and the egg white in the side of the bowl with the shrimp and mix the white and starch together so there are no lumps, then using the velveting technique, hand mix the shrimp until the egg whites and starch have evenly coated the shrimp and seem to take on a smoother "velvety" texture, let the shrimp rest for 30 minutes before frying.

    Make your sauce by mixing all of the sauce ingredients together. Set Aside, in the fridge if your letting your protein sit for over an hour.

    Shallow or deep fry your protein, a handful at a time, do not crowd the pan. Once you are finished with all of your protein.

    Add the shrimp (or whatever protein you are using) back to your shallow fry pan, if you deep fried, using a new pan, heat it up and add your fried protein, mix in any vegetables you like, mix in the peanuts and chilis, toss until all incorporated. toss for a few minutes to warm it all through, then add your sauce, 1/2 at a time until you are happy with the taste. Serve over Jasmin rice and sprinkle with remaining green onions.
  • Shrimp and Cheddar Grits

    Shrimp and Cheddar Grits
    Shrimp and Cheddar Grits
    (Makes 4 servings)

    2 cups water
    2 cups milk
    1 ½ tsp salt
    4 tblsp butter
    4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
    1 lb shrimp (41-50ct)
    1 tsp olive oil
    black pepper to taste
    ¾ tsp salt
    1 tblsp soy sauce
    1 tsp Tony Chachere Creole Spice
    1 tsp lemoncello liquor or 1 tsp lemon zest
    OPTIONAL: 1 tblsp panko bread crumbs

    NOTES:

    Bring milk, water, 1 ½ tsp salt to a slow boil over medium/low heat.

    While the liquid is coming to a boil, in a separate bowl, add the shrimp, pepper, 3/4 tsp salt, soy sauce, lemon liquor and Cajun spice to the shrimp and let marinate.

    When the liquids come to a slow boil, whisk in the corn meal and lower heat to lowest simmer.

    Keep whisking every few minutes as to avoid lumps.

    After 15-20 minutes your grits will be ready, taste will determine when you turn the heat off to stop cooking them.

    Now add the shredded cheddar cheese and the butter to the grits and stir well. Set Aside.

    In a large skillet on high heat, add 1 tsp olive oil, wait till it is hot then add the shrimp toss once to adjust shrimp.
    Let cook for 45 seconds, flip once, using tongs to individually flip any shrimp that did not get turned. 30 more seconds, turn off heat and toss shrimp onto the grits. Enjoy!

  • Shrimp Butter

    Shrimp Butter
    Shrimp Butter
    (Makes 1 cup)

    2 cans baby shrimp, 10 oz, mashed
    1½ sticks butter, soft
    1 onion, chopped, small
    2 tblsp lemon juice
    3 tblsp mayonnaise
    ½ tsp dried parsley
    ½ tsp black pepper

    NOTES: You can substitute cream cheese for mayonnaise, or even add a combination of both.

    Mix all together, refrigerate over night. Serve with crackers.

  • Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Shrimp

    Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Shrimp
    Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Shrimp
    (Makes 15-20)


    1½ cups Thai Basil leaves
    1½ cups Cilantro leaves
    1½ cups Mint leaves
    1 package rice paper wrappers
    6 oz rice vermicelli noodles
    1¼ lbs medium shrimp, (41-50 shrimp per pound)
    1 bunch green onions
    1 medium carrot
    1 cup bean sprouts
    1 lime
    1 tblsp fish sauce
    1 tsp white sugar
    2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced


    NOTES: The perfect accompanying side is this delicious peanut sauce! When buying rice paper wrappers remember this: The less ingredients the better (usually tapioca, rice flour water and salt) and the package says product of Vietnam, that being said "Three Ladies" Brand is always a great choice. Same with the rice vermicelli noodles (rice flour, water and salt) and "Three Ladies" Brand you can't go wrong.

    Also every 4 or 5 wrapped rolls you do, you may want to replace the water you soak the wrappers in with hotter water. And note that the wrapper will continue absorbing the water while you are building the roll, so if not entirely pliable when you remove from the hot water it should be by the time you start rolling.

     

    In a pot of boiling water, add the 6 ounces of rice noodles, cook for 8 minutes, drain immediately and rinse under cool water until cold. The noodles may be stored in the water until your ready to roll the spring rolls (then you drain the water).

    De-shell and clean the shrimp, rinse in cold water, and drain completely, a gentle squeeze can get a bit more water out.
    I added a tablespoon of ginger syrup, used in cocktails, for a quick marinade with a dash of salt. You can use anything and nothing, from salt and pepper to boiling them plain for 45-60 seconds. I heated up a pan very hot with a couple teaspoons of any high heat oil and fry the shrimp for a minute (30 seconds each side) in small batches, until they are all fried off. Set aside, spread them out, and let them cool. You can also split them in half length-wise if they are large and you are stretching out your supply of shrimp.

    In a large glass bowl add the juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce and 2 cloves of minced garlic, mix until the sugar dissolves, this is our quick pickling mix, set aside.
    Discard the ends of the carrot and the peel, cut into 3 inch long chunks and then cut those in half and make matchsticks out of the carrots. Cut the ends off the green onions, and then cut into 3 inch lengths and then julienne them length-wise. Now add all the julienned/match sticks of vegetables to the large bowl of our pickling mix along with the bean sprouts and mix well.

    Mice en place: "gather all of your ingredients", the cleaned leaves of each herb separately in small bowls, the stack of rice wrappers, the rice noodles in their own bowl, the cooked shrimp in their own bowl, a pie plate sized container with warm-medium hot water and a center work area with a damp kitchen towel or lightly wet cutting board.

    Dip a single wrapper into the warm/hot water for about 7-8 seconds, place on your damp work surface and first add the noodles to the very center bottom, leaving an inch of plain wrapper below it and on both sides, then place 5 or 6 pieces of the various pickled julienned vegetables on top of the rice noodles, make a quick fold of the edge, from the bottom, over the rice noodles and vegetables, tucking them into their own little section, now place 2 or 3 shrimp down, side by side next to the folded edge in the center of the wrapper, cover the shrimp with a sprig or 2 of cilantro, Thai basil and mint leaves. Now roll the noodle section over the top of the shrimp and herbs and tuck the left then the right sides over and finish rolling from the bottom to the top. If you are not eating these immediately, I'd recommend putting them in Tupperware with layers of parchment paper to keep them from sticking.

    Use my Thai peanut sauce as a dip or the traditional Nuac Chom dipping sauce!

    Vietnamese Spring Rolls