Shrimp and corn a match made in heaven
The last of this season’s corn finds its perfect companion with juicy shrimp. Truly, most dishes featuring these ingredients highlight the harmony between them, like these corn and shrimp pancakes. The perfect appetizer, they are somehow capable of dressing up or down most occasions.
CORN AND SHRIMP SILVER-DOLLAR PANCAKES WITH AVOCADO CREMA
Makes: 16 pancakes
1 cup flour
⅓ cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
1 extra-large egg, beaten
1 cup corn kernels
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 pound raw shrimp shelled, deveined, diced, patted dry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Vegetable oil
Avocado cream, see recipe
Stir together the flour, milk, salt and egg until just combined; if batter is thick, add up to 2 tablespoons more milk. Fold in the corn kernels, green onions, shrimp, soy sauce and sesame oil.
Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, add ¼-cup dollops of batter into the skillet, spreading each into silver-dollar-size rounds, about 3 inches wide. Cook until brown, flipping once, 3 to 4 minutes per side. If the skillet begins to seem dry, add more oil. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with avocado cream.
Avocado cream: Place 1 ripe Hass avocado, peeled, pitted; ¼ cup creme fraiche or sour cream; ½ cup cilantro leaves and tender green stems, lightly packed; and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. (If the avocado is not very ripe, you may need a little more creme fraiche to get a smooth sauce.) Taste and season with salt as needed.