Crispy Shrimp Cakes with Lime Salsa

Today I was lucky to find some early-season Florida corn on the cob at the grocery, and I couldn't wait to use it to create these Shrimp Cakes.  Sometimes the early corn crops don't have that sweet corn taste that you get from the late season corn, but this corn was sweet and tasty and smelled like summer.  We pureed half of the corn and left the rest of the kernels whole, which added a nice layer of texture when combined with the shrimp.

A blend of two flours are used for the batter, a mixture of regular flour and masa harnina, which is the flour used to make tortillas. The masa flour keeps the batter light and airy, which let the shrimp flavor comes through, but also allows the cakes to form a nice crispy exterior.

The salsa we used is a quick and simple recipe we've used for years.  The first tomatoes of the season always end up in a batch of salsa, with fresh minced jalapenos and lime juice. Yum!

 

If you have kids that are a little finicky about seafood, there is an easy way to get them to at least try this Shrimp Cake.  Call it a Krabby Patty!  Anyone under the age of 30 or so knows that the Krabby Patty is the staple food in the SpongeBob cartoons, and this will at least get them interested in trying something new for dinner.  For a little less spice, you could also serve these cakes with a simple tarter sauce or cocktail sauce in place of the salsa.  Enjoy!!

1/2 cup  Minced Red Onion
2  medium  Tomatoes, chopped
2  medium  Jalapeno Peppers, finely minced
2 TB  Lime Juice
1/2 tsp  Kosher Salt

To prepare the salsa, combine the above 5 ingredients in a glass bowl and stir to combine.  Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

2/3 cup  Masa Harina Flour (this can be found in the Mexican foods section)
2/3 cup  Flour
1 tsp  Baking Powder
2 tsp  Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp  Kosher Salt
3/4 tsp  Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 cups  Fresh Corn Kernels, cut from 3 ears of corn, divided into 1 cup portions
2 TB  Low-Fat Buttermilk
1 TB  Grated Lemon Rind
2  Eggs
1-1/2 lbs medium  Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 medium  Red Bell Pepper, minced
1  Green Onion, finely minced
1 TB  Minced Garlic
Canola Oil

In a large glass bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, Old Bay, salt and pepper, and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine 1 cup of corn, buttermilk, lemon rind, eggs, and shrimp.  Pulse the food processor several times, just until the shrimp is a chopped consistency, but some pieces still remain.

Pour the shrimp and corn mixture into a large bowl and add the red pepper, green onion, garlic and the remaining 1 cup of corn kernels.  Stir to combine, then add the flour mixture and stir gently only until the batter is blended.

Heat 1/4 inch of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Using a 1/3 cup measuring scoop, place scoops of the batter into the skillet, pressing the tops of the cakes down slightly with a spatula.  Cook for 4 - 5 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown, then turn the cakes over and cook 4 minutes longer until golden.

Remove the cakes from the skillet and place on paper towels to drain while you cook the rest of the cakes in batches.  Serve the shrimp cakes with the Lime Salsa, tortilla chips and guacamole.