9/18/2011

Sunday Dinner

Shrimp Beignets with Dipping Sauce


Caramel Pudding Tart

This Sunday Dinner is my prelude to Fall.  Actually, it is the last Sunday Dinner before Fall official hits the calendars and weather maps.  I try to be a seasonal and weather related cook, so I wanted a meal that reflected the not-gone-just-yet warmth of the sun, the cool breeze in the air, and all the good smells of the current changing season.  This menu fit the bill and the appetizer is the recipe I am sharing today.


Shrimp Beignets-- a.k.a fried balls of sweet shrimp goodness! This recipe came to me from my mother.  She originally made them with cooked, chopped crawfish, but I prefer the sweetness and tenderness of uncooked, chopped shrimp. Don't worry, the shrimp cook completely through once fried.  I also added a little garlic to give the flavor a boost.  Dipped in a little tartar-like sauce and extra hot sauce on the side (that's a must), these tasty little shrimp fritters are the perfect beginning to our Sunday dinner.

The original recipe made half the recipe below, so feel free to halve it.  However, I always have a hungry crowd.  There are a few leftovers, but my children are more than happy to have them packed in their lunch box for the next day.


Shrimp Beignets with Dipping Sauce
makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen beignets

For the Beignets
2 extra large eggs
2 pounds uncooked shrimp, chopped into bite-sized pieces
6 green onions, ends trimmed and finely chopped
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated on a micro-plane
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2/3 cup bread flour
Vegetable oil for frying

For the Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped gherkins
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped capers
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon chipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Tabasco to taste

For the Sauce
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, gherkins, capers, herbs, and lemon juice.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Tabasco.

For the Beignets
In a large bowl, combine the egg, shrimp, onions, butter, salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Add flour and stir until blended.  (Mixture will be thick.)

In a large frying pan, heat about 2 inches of oil to 375º F.  Carefully drop one tablespoon of batter (I use a small, but generous 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop) a few at a time, into the hot oil.  Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet.  Transfer to a rack set over a baking sheet and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.  Repeat with the remaining batter.  Serve with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Source: Shrimp Beignets adapted from my mother via Taste of Home, Sauce-- The Galley Gourmet

9 comments:

  1. Those look seriously amazing!

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  2. These look fantastic, and dipping sauce to boot.. oh yea! At first glance I thought they were a childhood love of mine (hush puppies) = )

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  3. These look amazingly beautiful... Craving for some right now. Thanks for sharing, Nice blog :)

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  4. Love the recipe! We just had to share it with our fans on facebook.com/eatseafood. If you have any other great seafood dishes, feel free to share! We're always looking for new recipes :)

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  5. These sound seriously good. There's something so satisfying about dipping sauces and seafood.

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  6. Just made these and i seriously love the taste of them but they came out real rubbery like? Did I not add enough flour? Just wondering? Any help would be greatly appreciated

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    1. Rubbery? I can't say why for sure. With raw shrimp and just a bit of flour (2/3 cup) at the right frying temp., they should come out perfect like a fritter. My first concern is with the oil temperature. If it's too low, they will cook longer and possibly give the shrimp a rubbery texture. Make sure the temperature at 375º before starting another batch.

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  7. AnonymousJune 26, 2020

    Can all purpose flour be subbed the bread flour?

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