shrimp & chive beignets with a honey & smoked chili dipping sauce
From Chef Keith Gardiner
Ingredients
1 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
Salt & Pepper
Cayenne
3 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sour cream or crème fresh
2 oz honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped chipotle peppers
peanut oil or shortening for deep-frying
Method
Sauté onions til translucent
Add shrimp and sauté until pink, 2 to 3 minutes
Stir in garlic, season with salt and pepper
Remove and set aside to cool
Make a batter by combining the eggs, milk, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
Add the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, beating and incorporating until all is used and the batter is smooth
Stir in the chives
Add the shrimp mixture to the batter and fold to mix
Heat the shortening to 360°F
Drop the batter, a heaping tablespoon at a time, into the hot oil
When the fritters pop to the surface, roll them around with a slotted spoon in the oil to brown them evenly
Remove and drain on paper towels
Sprinkle the fritters with Essence.
To serve, spoon a pool of the mayonnaise in the center of each plate. Arrange the fritters around the sauce. Pile the herb salad in the center of the sauce. Serve warm.
