Recipes that are simple and delicious.
I went all out this past Christmas and decided to make a pretty great menu consisting of a shrimp done two ways, some popovers, roasted vegetables, and the star of the show, a New York Strip roast. As my in-laws were requesting that I make […]
Well, another year is soon to pass, and what another great year it has been. Our kids are quickly growing, and pretty much eating us out of the house. That is no lie. It’s also been a another great year of posting recipes for all […]
I hope everyone is recovering from a safe, and wonderful holiday season. I know we are. Several days of family get togethers that included a lot of cooking not only resulted in good times, but with that a bit of exhaustion. I was really pleased with my Christmas day menu this year. At first, I was going to put together another porchetta, but instead decided to make a herb and garlic crusted New York strip roast (that was to die for) along with an array of roasted vegetables, a mushroom gratin, as well as shrimp done two ways. One way being drunk. Yes, drunk. Drunken shrimp are just that, shrimp marinated in some good quality booze. The result is a crispy shrimp with a hint of that boozy flavor. Everyone loved them.
These are a great appetizer to get any get together started.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients:
Ingredients for the dipping sauce:
Start by marinating your shrimp. Add them to a large ziplock bag, pour in the tequila, seal the bag, giving it a good toss, and then set in the refrigerator for a maximum of two hours.
During this time, make the sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients into a small mixing bowl to combine everything, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cover and set aside. This can be made a day ahead as well and can be stored for a few days, if not longer.
Before you are ready to fry the drunken shrimp, add the flour, corn flour, teaspoon of salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper to another ziplock bag. Seal, and shake the bag to combine the seasonings and flour.
Bring a pot of oil up to temperature, around 350 degrees. The oil can be ready by placing the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil. If it bubbles somewhat aggressively, the oil is most likely ready.
Drain the shrimp, then add them to the flour mixture. Seal the bag, and give the shrimp a really good toss, ensuring that all shrimp are evenly coated with the flour mixture.
Add enough shrimp, working in batches, to the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd them. Cook the shrimp for about 4-6 minutes or until they are golden brown, and crispy. Remove them with a slotted spoon onto a paper lined plate to allow any access oil to drain. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
When you are ready to plate, simply add the shrimp to a large serving plate, along with a small bowl of the dipping sauce.
Serve by either dunking the shrimp into the sauce, and eat, or drizzle the sauce onto the shrimp. However you do it, the end result is a tequila marinated shrimp that has a punch of flavor. Crispy on the exterior, and soft and plump on the interior, these shrimp will definitely wake up your palette. My wife got the subtle tequila right away, and then that dipping sauce. It’s almost close to a traditional Filipino sauce. The bright vinegar, along with the garlic and onion, this sauce is sure to please. Feel free to use the leftover sauce on pretty much anything, it’s that good.
So if you are looking for a nice appetizer, give this one a shot. I know everyone at the party loved them. Who knew a little bit of booze could go a long way? Hope you enjoy, and Happy New Year to everyone!
Last year when we celebrated my wife’s birthday, I decided to make a bunch of food, surprise her at a resort, and basically just hang out with family. It was a great time to say the least. One of the appetizers I made was the […]
If you have never heard of or seen the slopper, well, you are in for something good. I first learned of the slopper from a conversation with one of my colleagues. During the week, there is always conversations surrounding technology, kids, and food. One of […]
Last year around this time, I was getting super excited, not so much about the holiday (well, I kind of was), but I was extremely excited for what I was going to prepare for the family. I was getting excited to make porchetta; a slab of pork that is coated in herbs and garlic, lined with pancetta, rolled, and slow roasted until crispy on the exterior and cooked through in the interior. It is a thing of beauty, and so much that my in-laws had requested I make it again this year! As much as that excited me, I am deciding to create something new for the menu this year, but maybe I am somewhat disappointed as that porchetta left us with a lot of great leftovers including a pulled porchetta sandwich, as well as a porchetta slab with broccoli rabe. As they were both great uses for leftovers, there is one that also shined, and that was the porchetta cracklings.
After vacuum sealing the leftovers, some of the exterior, that was once crispy, gets a bit more tender and soft, and upon opening a package, I decided to strip the meat and make sandwiches, and leave the fatty skin and some of the meat to make a nice snack. A perfect snack for having a cold beer.
I think I was first introduced to real cracklings via the Filipino’s in the family, and when I first experienced it, I was sold. A crispy, porky exterior, with a bit of meat. Yes, I was sold. I’ll admit though, these porchetta cracklings are better as the flavor was already filled throughout from using all of the garlic and herbs. Enough said, let’s get started.
Ingredients:
If you have not cooked porchetta, you can try using pork belly, marinating it overnight in garlic, thyme, and rosemary.
Preheat your oven to 245 degrees.
Add the porchetta skin to the lined baking sheet.
Place this in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the skin is nice and crispy, not burnt.
Remove from the oven, plate, and shower with the chopped rosemary.
