|
| |
|
| What You Need: |
|
|
|
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup finely chopped onions
¼ cup finely chopped scallions, including 3 inches of the green tops
¼ cup finely chopped celery
¼ cup finely chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 pound fresh, frozen or canned crabmeat, thoroughly drained, picked over to remove all bits of shell and cartilage, and torn into small shreds
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley, preferably the flat-leaf Italian variety
¼ teaspoon ground hot red pepper (cayenne)
1½ teaspoons salt
24 uncooked jumbo shrimp (about 2 pounds)
2 eggs
½ cup evaporated milk
1 cup flour
2 cups soft fresh crumbs made from French- or Italian-type white bread, pulverized in a blender
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1 lemon, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| How To Cook: |
|
|
1. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, add the onions, scallions, celery, green pepper and garlic and, stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not brown.
|
2. Stir in the crabmeat, parsley, red pepper and ½ teaspoon of the salt, and remove the pan from the heat. Taste the stuffing mixture for seasoning.
|
3. Shell the shrimp, leaving the last section of shell and the tail intact. Devein them by making a shallow incision down their backs with a small sharp knife arid lifting out the black or white intestinal vein with the point of the knife.
|
4. Wash the shrimp briefly in a colander set under cold running water, spread them on paper towels to drain and pat them completely dry with fresh paper towels.
|
5. Butterfly the shrimp by cutting along their outer curves about three quarters of the way through and carefully flattening them with the palm of your hand.
|
6. Sprinkle the shrimp with the remaining teaspoon of salt and spoon the stuffing mixture in a band down the center of each shrimp, dividing it equally among them. Fold the long edges of the shrimp back together, and hold them in place with toothpicks if necessary.
|
7. Combine the eggs and evaporated milk in a shallow bowl and beat them with a wire whisk or a fork until the mixture is smooth. Spread the flour and the bread crumbs on separate plates or pieces of wax paper.
|
8. One at a time, roll the shrimp in the flour to coat them evenly, immerse them in the beaten-egg mixture, and turn them about in the bread crumbs.
|
9. As you proceed, arrange the breaded shrimp side by side on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate the shrimp for about 1 hour to firm their coating.
|
10. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. At the same time, line a large shallow baking dish with a double thickness of paper towels and place it on the middle shelf of the oven. If you have used toothpicks to secure the shrimp, remove them.
|
11. Pour vegetable oil into a deep fryer or large heavy saucepan to a depth of 2 or 3 inches and heat the oil until it reaches a temperature of 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer.
|
12. Deep-fry the shrimp, three or four at a time, turning them gently with a slotted spoon for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they crisp and brown on all sides. As they brown, transfer them to the paper-lined dish and keep them warm in the oven while you deep-fry the rest.
|
13. Arrange the shrimp attractively on a deep platter, garnish with the lemon wedges and serve at once.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
