Shrimp and Corn Cakes
These shrimp and corn cakes are a cross between a traditional crab cake and a fritter. Use neutral oil such as grape seed or canola to sauté the cakes. Make 8 (21⁄2-inch) cakes
Citrus mayonnaise: 1⁄2 cup prepared mayonnaise Zest of 1 lime 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon Italian parsley Avocado garnish:
3 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and finely diced
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
Shrimp cakes: 1⁄2 cup finely chopped onion 2 cloves, finely minced
1 1⁄2 cups coarsely chopped cooked shrimp 1 1⁄2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (about 2 to 3 ears)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3⁄4 teaspoon salt 1⁄8 teaspoon ground pepper 1⁄2 cup flour 1⁄2 cup cornmeal 1 tablespoon baking powder
4 tablespoons grape seed or canola oil (divided)
Shrimp garnish:
8 raw shrimp, peeled, deveined tails intact
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
Prepare citrus mayonnaise and avocado garnish. In both cases, combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make cakes: In a mixing bowl, combine onion, garlic, cooked shrimp and corn. Add eggs, cayenne pepper, paprika, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
Add flour, cornmeal and baking powder; mix just until batter just comes together.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Drop 4 heaping spoonfuls of mixture into hot pan, pressing lightly with back of a spatula to flatten into 2 1⁄2-inch rounds. Cook over medium-low heat until browned. Turn cakes over; brown on the other side. Transfer to prepared pan. Add additional oil as need to cook remaining batter.
Bake cakes in preheated oven 4 minutes.
While cakes bake, prepare shrimp garnish: Place shrimp in a bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon oil and the parsley. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a clean sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add shrimp. Sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Top cakes with citrus mayonnaise, avocado garnish and sautéed shrimp.