I love seafood cakes but find many restaurants add too much breadcrumbs in the mix and they end up dry and closer to a fishy hush puppy. So for this recipe, I chose panko breadcrumbs which is a Japanese-style breadcrumb made from bread without crusts. Using the interior of the dried bread results in airy, large flakes that give fried foods a light, crunchy coating without absorbing as much oil. So when you take your first bite of these shrimp cakes, you’ll taste the sweet, tender shrimp first, not the breading.
The mango salsa is a great accompaniment to the shrimp cakes, offering that perfect bite of sweet, sour, salty, and savory with a little touch of heat at the finish. This would be an ideal summer evening appetizer with a glass of light crisp white wine.
Ingredients:
For the Shrimp:
24 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced green onions
2 tablespoons minced capers
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
For the salsa:
1 mango, peeled and finely chopped
1 papaya, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
Zest of one lime
Directions:
For the salsa:
1) Combine the salsa ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
For the shrimp:
2) Set your oven to 200 degrees.
3) Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and line a baking tray with Parchment paper.
4) Add the shrimp ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the shrimp are chopped and all ingredients are incorporated together.
5) Form the shrimp mixture into 2-inch round patties, placing them on a plate until you’re ready to cook them.
6) Carefully place the patties in the frying pan, and press them down slightly with the back of a spoon into the shape of a small cake. The oil may pop and splash onto your hands/arms so be prepared to use an oven mitt or have protection for your arms for this step.
7) Cook the shrimp cakes for 2 minutes, then turn them over and cook an additional 2 minutes. Transfer the cakes to the baking tray and place the tray in a 200 degree oven until the rest of the cakes are cooked.
8) Serve the shrimp cakes warm along with the salsa.
