Ilan Hall was a contestent on one of the past seasons of Top Chef. I actually thought he did a good job throughout the competition even though he was a massive jerk for shaving off Marcel’s hair while he was sleeping. I did think Marcel should have won though. ANYWAY…this is a recipe that Ilan made on the show (or something similar) and I finally saw it in a recent food and wine magazine issue. It has great flavor and they were very good, but the ones I made the first time came out a little greasy. I’m sure that could be eliminated by draining them longer or maybe using a lighter oil (grapseseed would be my suggestion). It takes some time because you have to let some of the ingredients cool between using them, but other than that, its a really easy recipe and satisfies that “deep south deep fried” craving I get every once in a while but with a fun Spanish flavor twist.
Table of Contents
Crispy Shrimp Fideo Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Fideos
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup dry white wine
- large pinch saffron threads
- 1/2 lb medium shrimp
- 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz diced chorizo sausage
- 2 tbsp sliced garlic plus one minced garlic clove
- large pinch crushed red pepper
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 4 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Devein and peel your shrimp. Rinse and set shells aside.
- In a saucepan combine the stock, wine, saffron, and shrimp shells – bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for one hour. Strain out the shrimp shells and reserve stock.
- Preheat oven to 350 and spread fideos on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes until lightly browned.
- In a large saucepan heat 1 tbsp of the oil, add chorizo and sliced garlic. Cook over medium heat until garlic is browned. Add crushed red pepper, fideos, and shrimp stock and bring to a boil, stirring. Cook and stir constantly until fideos are al dente and sauce is creamy – about 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp and season with salt. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature then stir in egg whites and refrigerate for one hour.
- In a bowl, blend the mayo or crema Salvadorean, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Whisk and add two tablespoons of oil and season to taste with salt.
- In a large skillet (cast iron or le Creuset is what I suggest), heat 1 Tbsp of the oil. Add 3 cakes at a time and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom (about 4 minutes), being careful not to burn them. Turn over and reduce heat to moderate, and cook until heated through about 3 minutes more.
- Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and cakes. Top cakes with the sauce and serve warm.
- You can also use this complimentary recipe for orange saffron aioli sauce instead of the lemon mayo if you wish. It goes very nicely with the flavors.
Video
Notes
- Rice Flour: Bread crumbs can easily be substituted for rice flour.
- Mixture storage: The mixture can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for 5–6 hours. Before cooking, make careful to let it come to room temperature.
I genuinely enjoy experimenting with new shrimp recipes. They are a fantastic element. This sounds incredibly delicious, perfect for my hubby and me to enjoy.
Shrimp cakes in the air fryer seem great, which is why I’d love to try them.