Puffy Shrimps in Sweet Mayo-Coconut Sauce

Happy New Year everyone! :) I would like to start my first entry this year with something just out of the kitchen (and into my tummy) - yes, just today. Real time!

Have you tried Tin Hau Restaurant's Shrimps with Sliced Almond and Mayonnaise? If you have tried it and liked it, just like myself and my colleagues, you might want to try this recipe at home. I can say it's a bit bit close to Tin Hau's (minus the presentation. Hehe.)

I really don't know how Tin Hau made theirs... Lucky and blessed, sometime ago, my Mommy Tess told me to try something similar to it but using candied walnuts as garnish rather than almonds. Since I don't have candied walnuts, at least I have the almond slivers available. Thanks to our nearby Cocoa Pantry :)

For more ka artehan, I would like to name it Puffy Shrimps in Sweet Mayo-Coconut Sauce.

Here goes:

First make your Cream sauce:

2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 to 2 1/2 tbsp condensed milk
2 tbsp coconut cream/ gata

mix them together and whisk until all flavors are incorporated. Set aside.

If I may suggest, start heating your cooking oil in your deep frying sauce pan before preparing the batter to save time and to have your shrimps "deep-fry" ready.

For this recipe, I used about 2 cups of canola oil in a small sauce pan.


For the Shrimps:

about 1/2 kilo medium sized shrimps - peeled and deveined (Suahe)

Batter:

About 3 6 tbps flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch of salt
About 3/4 cup or less of ice cold water

UPDATE 1/18/10 - after much recall over the phone with Andrea --- for the flour, I remember I used 3 heaping tbsp of flour, double checked it with measuring spoon and it turns out to be about 6 tbsp . You might want to add another teaspoon of flour (to the 6 tbsp) if you want to achieve a little more pasty consistency

Mix dry ingredients and add the ice cold water little by little until dissolved and becomes paste like. (realization w/ Andrea: like elmer's glue texture!)

Throw in the shrimps into the batter and set aside.

By this time the oil may be already hot and ready for the shrimps -

Throw in shrimps one at a time (do not over crowd them) and wait for about 2 minutes until you achieve a light golden brown color, then drain (Repeat process until all shrimps are cooked.)

REMINDER: Please be careful not to include your fingers.

Once done, mix them right away with the sauce, garnish with slivered almonds, or any nut you like (like my Mommy Tess, she uses candied walnuts) or serve as is. :)


The trick to having your shrimps stay puffy and crisp is to have your batter really ice cold, deep fry it, drain it, mix quickly w/ cream sauce and serve it immediately. AS IN PRONTO!


A new year is always equal to one having his/her own new year's resolutions... and one of my many many resolutions this 2010 is to do my best to make more new meals... and to write more. Here.


Everybody Happy!