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Shrimp and Rice Croquettes

Source of Recipe

From "Essentials of Southern Cooking" by Damon Lee Fowler


Recipe Introduction

"Rice croquettes (or fritters as they're sometimes called) point straight back to the West African slaves who did so much to shape Lowcountry cooking along the South Carolina and Georgia coast. Rice fritters may be sweet, as in calas or the jam-filled croquettes of South Carolina, or savory — filled with ham, chicken, shrimp, or other seafood. Except for calas, such fritters have all but disappeared from modern Southern tables, but old cookbooks suggest that they were once more widely enjoyed. Sweet fritters are ideal as a brunch sweet bread or as a dessert after any meal. Savory fritters such as this one are a fine main course for a brunch or luncheon, but can also be served as an elegant and unusual hot hors d'oeuvre."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 cups hot, cooked rice
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
â—¦ ½ cup soft white bread crumbs
â—¦ Salt, ground cayenne, and whole black pepper in a mill
â—¦ 1 lemon
â—¦ 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
â—¦ 2 tablespoons minced scallions or other green onions, or yellow onions
â—¦ ½ pound (headless weight) raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
â—¦ 1 cup fine cracker crumbs or dry bread crumbs


Recipe

While the rice is hot, mix the butter into it and stir in the soft crumbs. Season well with salt, cayenne, and a generous grinding of black pepper, making it spicier than you'd normally do. Grate in the zest from the lemon, then halve it and, using a sieve to catch the seeds, squeeze in a teaspoon or so of its juice. Mix well. Spread it on a platter until it is somewhat cooled, then stir in the eggs, scallion, and shrimp. Spread it once again, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 2 hours.

Moisten your hands and scoop up the mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls. Roll one into a ball in your hands and then roll it in the dry crumbs until it is coated. Put the fritters on a clean, dry platter and refrigerate until you are ready to fry them.

Put enough lard or oil to come halfway up the sides of a deep skillet or enameled iron Dutch oven. Warm it over medium-high heat until it is hot but not quite smoking (375° F). Add enough fritters to fill the pan without crowding and fry, turning once if necessary, until uniformly golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly, blot briefly on absorbent paper, then transfer the fritters to a wire cooling rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fritters. Serve piping hot.


Serves 4


• Cheese Rice Fritters:
Omit the shrimp and lemon and stir in 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar or Gruyère and 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.