The festive season is here, time to entertain with family and friends. Dishes served should be quick, easy, elegant and impressive. Shrimps are versatile, flavourful and readily available throughout the year. Though prepping them takes some time, they can be cleaned, assembled and refrigerated to set. Just before serving, dredged in flour, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs and deep fried. These wrapped shrimps make for a great appetizer. Accompanied with homemade cocktail sauce, incredibly delicious. A hint of heat and sweet from the sauce, with the crispy outer crust, followed by the moist cheesy mashed potato and succulent shrimp is a party in the mouth.
Potatoes are a popular food, economical and tasty. Select ones that are firm with smooth, unblemished skins. Avoid soft, shrivelled potatoes or any with green spots. Store potatoes in a dark, cool and well-ventilated place. Do not refrigerate them as cold temperatures increase their sugar content making them carcinogenic when baked, fried or roasted. Also, do not freeze potatoes, they will become mushy and brown after defrosting.
Potatoes should not be overcooked until the skin tears open with moisture seeping in. That's when you will have a mushy gooey mess. Overworking them by beating or mashing will make them sticky. When they are boiled, they develop swollen starch cells that rupture and release starch when mashed. They become gummy when more cells are ruptured. A ricer is a perfect and gentle tool to get lump free, fluffy mash. The potatoes should be passed through a ricer when they are warm or else are difficult to handle.
Potatoes are a popular food, economical and tasty. Select ones that are firm with smooth, unblemished skins. Avoid soft, shrivelled potatoes or any with green spots. Store potatoes in a dark, cool and well-ventilated place. Do not refrigerate them as cold temperatures increase their sugar content making them carcinogenic when baked, fried or roasted. Also, do not freeze potatoes, they will become mushy and brown after defrosting.
Potatoes should not be overcooked until the skin tears open with moisture seeping in. That's when you will have a mushy gooey mess. Overworking them by beating or mashing will make them sticky. When they are boiled, they develop swollen starch cells that rupture and release starch when mashed. They become gummy when more cells are ruptured. A ricer is a perfect and gentle tool to get lump free, fluffy mash. The potatoes should be passed through a ricer when they are warm or else are difficult to handle.
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Shrimps Wrapped With Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
16 large shrimps
8 medium-sized potatoes
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated cheese (use choice of cheese)
freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
oil for deep frying
salt
Method:
Wash potatoes, transfer to an instant pot with some water and salt. Pressure cook for 6 minutes until fork tender. Release the steam, open the lid and drain out the water. Peel the potatoes and pass them through a ricer.
To the riced potatoes, mix in cheese, freshly cracked black pepper and salt.
Clean, devein and shell shrimps leaving the last segment along with the tail. Wash and pat dry well with paper towels. Season shrimps with salt. Set aside.
Take some potato mash and enclose a shrimp around it exposing the last segment and tail. Repeat with rest of the shrimps and refrigerate them for a couple of hours or overnight to firm the covering.
Heat oil for deep frying on medium-low flame. The shrimp has to cook so do not fry on high heat.
Dredge each wrapped shrimp in flour, beaten eggs and then, breadcrumbs. Holding each gently by the tail makes it easy to coat and even deep fry.
Fry 2 or 3 at a time until the shrimp cooked and coating golden brown on both sides. With a slotted spoon, remove in a colander set over a bowl.
Serve hot with cocktail sauce.
Cocktail Sauce
Ingredients:
3/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons chilli sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Method:
Mix the above cocktail ingredients. Stir and serve with fried shrimps.
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
16 large shrimps
8 medium-sized potatoes
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated cheese (use choice of cheese)
freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
oil for deep frying
salt
Method:
Wash potatoes, transfer to an instant pot with some water and salt. Pressure cook for 6 minutes until fork tender. Release the steam, open the lid and drain out the water. Peel the potatoes and pass them through a ricer.
To the riced potatoes, mix in cheese, freshly cracked black pepper and salt.
Clean, devein and shell shrimps leaving the last segment along with the tail. Wash and pat dry well with paper towels. Season shrimps with salt. Set aside.
Take some potato mash and enclose a shrimp around it exposing the last segment and tail. Repeat with rest of the shrimps and refrigerate them for a couple of hours or overnight to firm the covering.
Heat oil for deep frying on medium-low flame. The shrimp has to cook so do not fry on high heat.
Dredge each wrapped shrimp in flour, beaten eggs and then, breadcrumbs. Holding each gently by the tail makes it easy to coat and even deep fry.
Fry 2 or 3 at a time until the shrimp cooked and coating golden brown on both sides. With a slotted spoon, remove in a colander set over a bowl.
Serve hot with cocktail sauce.
Cocktail Sauce
Ingredients:
3/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons chilli sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Method:
Mix the above cocktail ingredients. Stir and serve with fried shrimps.
