Walnut Shrimp

Walnut Shrimp

Just about a year ago I had Walnut Chicken for the very first time. I found it on the menu at a Chinese restaurant in Stroudsburg, Pa. It was one of the best dishes I've ever had in the Americanized Chinese realm. That day happened to be the beginning of a very big life-change and so I've had good feelings about life in general each time I have Walnut-Anything.

At a local Chinese buffet/hibachi hot-spot, there is a dish almost consistently served called coconut chicken. I never tasted coconut myself nor were there any shreds or pieces of coconut visible, but the sauce was white and creamy and studded with bite-sized morsels of battered and deep fried chicken. It's very good stuff.

Tried as I might, I couldn't find a dish similar in any of the Chinese take-out menus I had and each time I stepped foot in a Chinese restaurant, I looked for it. So, when I was in Stroudsburg at that particular restaurant, they had a photo of what looked like coconut chicken on the menu; it was Walnut Chicken.

It was the same sauce, but instead filled with chicken and candied walnuts. Too much was too much, but in moderation ... well, you wanted to eat until you reached the too much stage. I couldn't, however, figure out the sauce. Sweet, but not too sweet, creamy, but not a sauce thickened with any starch ... I was completely flummoxed.

I searched the internet and finally, finally found a recipe. I had to make it, and so I did, but the chicken wasn't the same and I didn't have candied walnuts. In stepped Guy Fieri. Well, not for real, but I did watch and episode of Triple D that had a recipe for Walnut Shrimp. It was all so simple. I ran to the store, ran back home (I run everywhere) and made it for the first time. I was hooked and so was my Chinese-food-addicted oldest daughter.

Enter California Walnuts. When we hooked up on Twitter, I knew my Walnut Shrimp and they would be a perfect match. And they are. Before I pass on the recipe, though, you need to know, these walnuts are oh-so-good.

Walnut Shrimp

They are larger than other walnuts I've used and unlike many others, there is no bitterness to them ... just sweet, tender nuts that are really difficult to keep from snacking on when you need them for a recipe. Once I had them measured out and tried one ... I had to re-measure a couple times. Oops.

They are the perfect addiction, er ... addition, to this recipe and I already know they'll be tops when I add them to maple syrup to drizzle over my souffle-like pumpkin pancakes. Heaven.

You can find California Walnuts online at:

Walnuts.org: www.walnuts.org
Twitter: @CaWalnuts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cawalnuts
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/cawalnuts

Now for the recipe! Usually I skin the walnuts by boiling them in water for several minutes and rinsing well, but I found the California Walnuts don't need to lose their skins as they are not bitter. You can skip skinning them all together if you are using these walnuts. Most walnut shrimp recipes contain honey, this one does not, hence the simple name of Walnut Shrimp.

Walnut Shrimp

Walnut Shrimp
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups walnut halves
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 egg white
1/2 cup cornstarch
4 tablespoons peanut or other vegetable oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Japanese Kewpie is best for this, though regular mayo is yummy, too)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2-3 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (I use the lesser amount, it's your choice)
1/2 pound sno peas - steamed, for serving

1. Boil walnuts in 3 cups of water for 5 minutes, drain well and rinse thoroughly to remove skins. Let cool and dry for several hours before moving on.
2. Combine water and sugar in a heavy pan and heat until sugar is melted. Add walnuts and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from sugar with a slotted spoon and place on a well-greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees, turning often, for 15-20 minutes or until golden in color. Cool completely.
3. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Set aside.
4. Beat egg white until slightly frothy and add shrimp and cornstarch. Stir well to coat all shrimp.
5. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet and add shrimp. Cook, turning once or twice, until shrimp is pink and coating is crispy but not overly browned - about 5 minutes.
6. Remove from oil, drain and keep warm.
7. Combine mayo, condensed milk and lemon juice until smooth.
8. Add walnuts to shrimp in a large bowl and pour sauce over all. Toss to coat and serve over sno peas.

Turmeric Shrimp in Banana Leaves with Banana Salsa

Inspired by this month's ingredients for the Royal Foodie Joust - turmeric, banana and honey - I came up with this. We just had this for dinner and it was summer-all-over. Ian ate more than his fair share and my brother-in-law, Tim stopped by and declared the salsa a hit. He balked at the name, but bent over the bowl and inhaled and quickly turned to me and said he would try it. He even told me to mention that he loved it.

I think it was very refreshing, and I love the earthiness of the turmeric with the shrimp. The flavor that the banana leaf imparts to the shrimp was just another delicious layer.

So, here's the recipe - roughly:

Turmeric Shrimp in Banana Leaves with Banana Salsa
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

1 pound large shrimp in shell
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 clove garlic - minced
4 sections of banana leaf - 8x8 each
kosher salt

For Salsa:

1/2 cup red onion - diced
1/2 each red and yellow pepper - diced
1 medium cucumber - peeled, seeded and diced
1 large just ripe banana (a little green is best) - diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime - juiced
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Rinse banana leaves and set aside. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Gently toast spices in a small pan - this works best before spices are ground, but still helps to boost flavor when they have been ground. Combine spices and garlic and make a paste. Toss with shrimp (I like the shell on, but you can remove it) until well coated. Divide shrimp between banana leaves and fold up into small packets. Set, seam side down, in a shallow pan and put into the oven. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and open each on a plate. Serve with banana salsa.

For salsa - combine onion, cucumber, peppers, cilantro, lime juice, honey and salt. Stir well. Cut and add banana just before service. Toss gently once banana is added.

Ile de France Cheese of the Month: Shrimp and Brie Quesadillas

The cheese of the month for July at Ile de France, is Brie. Traditionally, I am not a lover of brie. I've had some that just didn't taste right to me and left me feeling rather funny.

I was a bit apprehensive, then, to try the brie from Ile de France. I was very pleasantly surprised to find it quite agreeable and altogether delicious. I paired this delicate cheese with shrimp in a delectable quesadilla that was consumed with abandon by all who sampled it.

Shrimp and Brie Quesadillas
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

8 flour tortillas - 6-inch size
1/2 pound shrimp - shelled and cooked
1/2 pound Ile de France Brie - rind intact - sliced
4 Tablespoons sliced green onion
salt to taste

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add a tortilla, turning often until heated through. Add shrimp and top with 1/8 pound cheese slices and 1 Tablespoon green onion and salt as desired. Top with another tortilla and cook, turning once, until cheese is melted and quesadilla is lightly browned. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cut each into quarters to serve.

Un-Foodie Joust Entry: Sesame Shrimp Tempura with Cilantro Creme Fraiche

Last month's Royal Foodie Joust ingredients were coriander (or cilantro), sesame and seafood. I wasn't sure right off what I wanted to make, but then I settled on this recipe. I didn't submit it to the Joust, though - I didn't really feel like it was worthy of a contest and besides, I had gone and fried yet another food and couldn't shake the guilt.

Here it is anyway, they were very yummy.

Sesame Shrimp Tempura with Cilantro Crème Fraîche
Printable Recipe

16 large shrimp - peeled and deveined - tails left on
1 tablespoon sesame seeds - toasted
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 egg(beaten)
3/4 cup very cold water
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro - minced
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup crème fraîche

Combine sesame seeds, coriander, salt and flour. Working quickly, add beaten egg and water until a loose batter forms. Keep batter away from heat while you are working. Dip shrimp into batter and then in very hot oil. Cook, turning once if necessary, until shrimp are pink and batter is just crisp - do not brown, they must be golden only. Drain on paper toweling.

For crème fraîche, combine all and stand in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving with hot shrimp.

Royal Foodie Joust Entry

This is my very first "Royal Foodie Joust" and my entry is:

Butterflied Shrimp on Coconut Risotto with Avocado, Lime and Cilantro Cream
Printable Recipe

I know I shouldn't pat myself on the back, but this was so good I could have eaten all 4 servings! If I ever get that restaurant to run, this will be on the menu!


For 4 Servings:

Risotto:

1 cup arborio rice
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
2 - 3 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon sliced green onion
1 Tablespoon neutral oil
1/4 cup shredded coconut - toasted

Shrimp:

12 large shrimp - tails on and butterflied (sliced down the back nearly all the way through)
1 Tablespoon neutral oil

Cream:

1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/2 small avocado
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup sour cream


Make the risotto:

Saute green onion in 1 T oil briefly. Add rice and toast lightly. Mix coconut milk and chicken stock.
Add stock mixture to rice one cup at a time - letting rice absorb stock before adding another cup.
Add the toasted coconut after the second cup of stock.
Stir nearly constantly. When you get to the 20 minute mark, check the rice for consistency.
Once the rice is al dente and creamy, you're done. You may or may not use all of the stock.
Keep warm.

Make the cream:

Combine cilantro, avocado, lime and sour cream in a blender. Puree until very smooth.

Make the shrimp:

Pan-fry the shrimp - cut side down - until lightly browned. This will take about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan so the shrimp will finish cooking and curl slightly. This will take just another 2 minutes or so.

For service I used coconut halves filled with risotto and topped with 3 shrimp each. Place a
dollop of cream on each shrimp and garnish with a sprinkling of toasted coconut and a cilantro leaf.