When I moved to New Orleans over a decade ago, I became a big fan of crab cakes. However, with my limited grad student budget I had to get creative to make this delicious appetizer more affordable. Overtime, I changed the recipe many times and I admit that I have a dozen or two right now in the freezer for a quick weeknight dinner consisting of a green salad and shrimp cakes!
This recipe will yield 12 large cakes, but I often make them half the size when I’m expecting a crowd. The sauce is optional, I borrowed the recipe from a neighbor a few years back during her holiday party being served over a different appetizer.
Southern Shrimp and Corn Cakes
Courtesy of MOMables™’ Recipe Stash
Ingredients:
1 lb raw Shrimp, peeled, deveined & tails off (fresh or frozen shrimp)
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 Small yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbs Parsley, chopped
1 Egg
2 Tbs Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 Tsp Creole seasoning (or Emerils’ seasoning)
1 Tbs Creole Mustard (Ok to substitute for Dijon)
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1 Pack saltine crackers (unsalted) crushed
½ Cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Corn Kernels
Oil for frying
Directions:
Place Shrimp in the bowl of a food processor and coarsely chop. Add in garlic, onion, parsley, egg, lemon juice, mustard, creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Pulse to combine.
Add in crushed crackers. Pulse gently to combine. Stir in corn kernels.
Form into patties (about 2– 3″). Coat lightly in panko crumbs (I like these best for the outside because they give a nice crunchy texture). Place on a wax paper lined tray and refrigerate until ready to fry.
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Fry Shrimp and Corn cakes until golden brown and cooked all the way through. (You can also finish them off in the oven if they are not cooked through).
Serve with Red-pepper Lime Cream Sauce (see below).
Red-pepper Lime Cream Sauce
1/4 Cup white wine
Juice of 1 lime, freshly squeezed
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 Cup Heavy Cream
6 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature, cut in 1/2″ pieces
Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine wine, lime juice and red pepper flakes. Boil over a high heat until mixture is reduced by half (2-3 minutes).
Add in heavy cream and reduce by half (about 2 minutes).
Bring heat to low and simmer for a minute or two.
Whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time until melted.
Laura Fuentes is the Chief MOM at MOMables™. A wife, mother of 3 and a lunch enthusiast who insists on healthy, wholesome food for her family.
