Recipe: Thai Shrimp Fritters

I *love* seafood. I also *love* Thai flavours. When I came by a recipe in one of my cookbooks for a "Lemongrass & Shrimp Pop", I decided to try it.

I had some leftover lemongrass, and also some nice firm shrimp in the freezer, and so I adapted the recipe and tried it out.



Ingredients
300g shrimp (I used about 16 shrimp, in the 21-25 size range), coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp coriander seed
2-3 green onions, chopped coarsely
1" of ginger, peeled & sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 t Sambal Oolek
1 t fish sauce
Cornstarch
2-3 stalks of lemongrass, cut into 4" sections
Canola oil for frying



Method
In a blender or food processor, grind coriander seed. Add onions, ginger, and garlic, and pulse until finely chopped. Add shrimp, sambal oolek, and fish sauce, and process until a paste forms. You will need to scrape down the processor / blender walls several times.

With wet hands, form the shrimp paste onto the lemongrass stalks, or, if unavailable, thin patties. Dredge in cornstarch and set aside.

When all the mixture has been formed, heat a pot of canola oil over medium heat (ensure that your pot or wok is deep enough - the pot should only be at 1/3 full to prevent a fire hazard!) to 375ºF or until a small bread cube dropped in the oil sizzles and turn golden.

Fry the patties or shrimp pops until nicely golden on the outside, about 4-5 minutes.

Drain on paper towels and serve with a sweet chili sauce!