Shrimp Cake Appetizers →

These easy-to-make shrimp cake appetizers will please your guests or hosts for a potluck. At a fraction of the cost of fresh or canned crab meat, not only are they delicious, but they can be prepared in less than an hour. Spooning the mixture into non-stick mini-muffin tins avoids hand-forming each cake and saves a lot of prep time. Fennel fronds, parsley, and tarragon are my herbs of choice to compliment the shrimp, but feel free to use your favorite herbs. The jalapeño and hot sauce are optional and provide a mild spicy background note as written, but if you want to kick it up a notch for real spicy shrimp cakes feel free to increase the spicy heat. Either a traditional Remoulade or the Lemony Cilantro Aioli are my condiments of choice for these delicate, tasty morsels. Enjoy!

Shrimp Cake Appetizers
Yield about 24 appetizer size shrimp cakes
Special equipment: non-stick mini-muffin tins

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup minced green onions

• 2 large egg yolks

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

• 4 teaspoons minced fresh fennel fronds (or fresh parsley)

• 4 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon (1 teaspoon dried)

• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• dash of Worcestershire Sauce

• 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce

• 1-2 teaspoons minced jalapeño

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 pound medium or small shrimp (31-40 count)

• 3/4 cup Panko

Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 375 F.

1. Whisk all the ingredients except the shrimp and Panko in a large bowl.

2. Chop the shrimp into small pieces and add to the mixture in the large bowl. Add the Panko and mix to incorporate the ingredients. Let stand for 10 minutes or up to several hours in the fridge.

3.  Lightly oil the cups of the muffin tin. This helps to brown the bottoms of the cakes and allows them to be removed easily from the cups of the muffin tin.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of the shrimp mixture to each cup. You should have about 24 tablespoons. Lightly press the mixture into the cups. A light press will ensure that the cakes don’t fall apart when you remove them from the cups; too much pressure will make the cakes rubbery.

5. Lightly brush the top of each cake with melted butter and place the filled muffin tin in the middle of the hot oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Remove the muffin tins from the oven and let the cakes cool for a few minutes. Place a sheet pan over the top of the tin and holding tightly turn the tin over. The shrimp cakes should release and drop onto the sheet pan. Alternatively, you can use a knife to loosen the cakes from the cups and remove them individually.

7. Serve with Remoulade sauce or Lemony Cilantro Aioli (see recipe below)

Wine pairing: a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, Vermentino, or Albariño are good choices to pair with these delicious appetizers.

Lemony Cilantro Aioli

·   ½ cup of mayonnaise
·   1 tablespoon of olive oil
·   1-2 garlic cloves finely minced or grated and mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt
·    ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
·    1 teaspoon lemon zest
·    3-4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)
·    1 tablespoon cilantro chopped (fresh lemon balm is a good substitute if you don’t like cilantro)
·    2 teaspoons minced capers
·    2 teaspoons hot sauce (or more to your taste)
·    Freshly ground black pepper

Mix the ingredients and place in the fridge for at least a half-hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

*Note: make the aioli or remoulade ahead and refrigerate before you cook the shrimp cakes.

Anise Flavored Shrimp with Saffron Aioli →

This amazingly easy special appetizer is one of my favorites. The anise-flavored shrimp combined with creamy, not overly garlicky, saffron aioli creates a flavor profile that will indulge your taste buds and impress your guests. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, so I use it sparingly only for special dishes. If you choose to use saffron, just a small pinch will suffice.

Anise Flavored Shrimp with Saffron Aioli
Yield: 4 appetizer servings

For the Shrimp
Ingredients:

• 1 pound 21-25 count shrimp shelled

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder to taste

• 2 tablespoons Anisette (or other licorice-flavored liqueur, like Ricard or Pernod)

Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and allow to marinate for 1/2-1 hour.

2. Spread the shrimp on a sheet pan and place under a preheated broiler until opaque and barely pink, about 2 minutes.

3. Remove from the oven, drizzle with Anisette, and serve while warm.

4. Garnish with chopped parsley (optional)

For the Saffron Aioli
Quick Aioli:

• ½ cup mayonnaise

• ½ garlic clove (finely minced or grated and mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (start with 1 teaspoon, mix, taste, adjust to taste)

• Pinch of salt (to taste)

• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

• pinch of saffron-crumbled and soaked in 2-3 teaspoons of hot water for 5 minutes to release the full flavor (optional)

• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional: add up to ½ teaspoon to taste after mixing the other ingredients first)

After soaking the saffron, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings to taste. Refrigerate for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

Plate the shrimp
Serve the shrimp as appetizers with the aioli for dipping.