I really enjoy seafood and I am always looking for items that I can make with seafood that is not too expensive. I always buy the IQF mini shrimp when they are on sale, and have them on hand. They are very versatile for a quick stir fry, shrimp salad sandwiches and a delicious shrimp creole stew served over my mum’s famous fried rice. I have been experimenting with this recipe for a while and could not get the texture right when I used baking powder. The finished product tasted too doughy, so I decided to switch to yeast, and the result was perfection! These light, fluffy and golden brown gems can be dipped into a sauce of your choice or enjoy with my homemade mayo recipe. They can be made equally well with chopped clams instead of shrimp, or you can make seafood fritters and use both. If you don’t want a sauce, don’t worry, they taste great just as they are. This is a great appetizer that you can throw together quickly and enjoy with a few beers. Go ahead…let them think you spent a fortune making them!
***An original recipe by www.goodfoodgourmet.com
Shrimp Fritters (makes about 24 pieces)
1½ cups flour
2 packets yeast
1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon chopped onion, dehydrated
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon chopped garlic, dehydrated
1½ tablespoons dried parsley
1 ½ cups small shrimp, thawed and chopped
¾ -1 cup warm water
Salt
Canola oil
NOTE: Old Bay Seasoning is a very special Maryland spice that is served in seafood houses throughout the state. If you cannot source it locally, the ingredients are celery salt, dry mustard, red pepper, bay leaves cloves, allspice, ginger, mace, cardamom, cinnamon and paprika.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the yeast with about ¾ cup water and whisk until completely dissolved. Slowly add the flour, old bay seasoning, chopped onion, garlic and parsley and mix well. Lastly add the chopped shrimp and mix again. If you need to add any more water to achieve the right consistency, add a little at a time. It should look like this…
Heat canola oil in a frying pan until it reaches approximately 350°F. If the oil is too hot, the fritters will burn on the outside and remain raw in the middle. With a large tablespoon, scoop a full size spoon of batter into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan because you will need to flip them over and you do not want them to stick together.
Cook them for a minute or so on each side, until they are golden brown all over. Remove onto a paper lined plate and add a little salt while they are still warm.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
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