Shrimp Cakes With Asparagus And Chive Vinaigrette Recipes

Steps:

• FOR VINAIGRETTE:Whisk olive oil, chives, lemon juice and shallots in bowl to blend.(Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) FOR SHRIMP CAKES:Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, abOut 3 minutes. Drain. Refresh under cold water and drain well. Finely dice 4 asparagus spears. Transfer to large bowl. Reserve remaining asparagus for garnish. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add 2/3 cup shallots and saute 2 minutes. Add shallots to chopped asparagus. Mix in shrimp, scallops, breadcrumbs, bell peppers, eggs and chives. Season generously with salt and pepper. Form shrimp mixture into eight 3 1/2-to4-inch rounds. Place on baking sheet.)Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp cakes and cook in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Place 1 shrimp cake in center of each plate. Arrange 4 asparagus spears around each shrimp cake, overlapping at corners to form box. Spoon some vinaigrette over. Serve, passing remianing vinaigrette. Bon Appetit April 1994

Steps:

• In a large deep skillet of boiling salted water cook the asparagus for 3 to 7 minutes, or until the stalks are tender but not limp, drain it well, and return it to the skillet. In a bowl whisk together the vinegar, the sugar, the oils, the chives, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the asparagus, shaking the skillet to coat the asparagus with it, and sprinkle the asparagus with the coarse salt.

Steps:

• Snap off and discard the tough bottoms of each asparagus spear. If using large thick asparagus, peel the lower ends with a vegetable peeler. Medium asparagus will not need peeling.
• Bring a medium saucepan half filled with water to a boil, carefully add the eggs and simmer briskly for 9 minutes (10 minutes for a slightly firmer yolk). Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool. Shell the eggs and set aside.
• Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, place the shallots, vinegar and a pinch of salt. Let shallots soften for 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard to dissolve, then whisk in the olive oil to make a thick dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a large stainless-steel soup pot bring 4 quarts of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until just done. Remove asparagus with a large strainer and spread out on a baking sheet lined with a clean kitchen towel. Asparagus may be served warm or at room temperature.
• To serve, place asparagus on a platter or individual plates. Spoon the vinaigrette over the asparagus. Garnish with quartered eggs (or roughly chop the eggs if you prefer). Sprinkle with chives.

Steps:

• Whisk olive oil, chives, lemon juice and shallots in bowl to blend (can be prepared 4 hours ahead. let stand at room temperature).
• Shrimp cakes: Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Refresh under cold water and drain well.
• Finely dice 4 asparagus spears. Transfer to large bowl. Reserve remaining asparagus for garnish.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add 2/3 cup shallots and saute 2 minutes. Add shallots to chopped asparagus. Mix in shrimp, scallops, breakcrumbs, bell pepers, eggs and chives. Season generously with salt and pepper. Form shrimp mixture into 8 rounds 3 1/2 to 4 inches. Place on baking sheet (can be prepared 2 hours ahead. cover and refrigerate).
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp cakes and cook in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Place 1 shrimp cake in center of each plate. Arrange 4 asparagus spears around each shrimp cake, overlapping at corners to form box. Spoon some vinaigrette over. Serve, passing remaining vinaigrette.
• Note: I add a little lime juice, garlic and ginger and don't use salt.

Steps:

• In the bowl of the food processor (or you can use a blender), add the rice cakes and pulse until you get 1 1/4 cups rice cake crumbs. Return 1/4 cup crumbs to the food processor, reserving the remaining 1 cup for coating the cakes.
• Add shrimp, shallot, 4 tablespoons each of the cilantro and basil, and 2 tablespoons jalapeño to the crumbs. Add 2 teaspoons fish sauce, and a pinch each salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture forms a coarse, chunky paste. (Be careful not to overprocess; if using a blender, scrape down the sides frequently.) Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate while you make the sauce (at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours).
• In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, remaining cilantro, basil, jalapeño and fish sauce. Zest the lime into the bowl, then cut the naked lime into wedges and squeeze in some juice. Salt to taste. Reserve extra lime wedges for serving.
• Spread remaining 1 cup rice cake crumbs out onto a plate or sheet pan. With wet hands to keep shrimp paste from sticking, form 2 tablespoons of shrimp mixture into a 1/2-inch-thick patty and put it on top of the crumbs. Repeat with remaining shrimp mixture, re-wetting your hands as necessary. Turn the patties over in the crumbs to coat both sides.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Fry patties in batches until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve shrimp cakes topped with more basil leaves, with chile-lime sauce for dunking and lime wedges on the side for squeezing.