Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (49 page)
Read Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans Online
Authors: Michelle Tam,Henry Fong
Tags: #Cookbooks; Food & Wine, #Cooking by Ingredient, #Natural Foods, #Special Diet, #Allergies, #Gluten Free, #Paleo, #Food Allergies, #Gluten-Free, #Healthy
WALNUT PRAWNS
I’ve always loved walnut prawns. When my parents would take us out for celebratory feasts (in Chinese restaurants, naturally), I could never resist the siren call of crunchy shrimp and candied nuts—all slathered in a creamy, tangy-sweet sauce. When I went Paleo, I resigned myself to a bleak gastronomic future bereft of my favorite childhood dish
...
until I invented this utterly authentic-tasting real-food version.
| Makes 4 servings | 3 tablespoons Paleo Mayonnaise |
| Hands-on time: 20 minutes | 1 tablespoon honey |
| Total time: 20 minutes | 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice |
| 1 pound (approximately 20 to 25 ) uncooked large fresh shrimp , peeled and deveined | |
| ¾ teaspoon kosher salt | |
| 1 egg white | |
| 2 tablespoons tapioca starch | |
| 1 cup ghee or fat of choice, for frying | |
| ½ cup Maple-Spiced Walnuts | |
| 1 tablespoon sesame seeds , toasted |
DO THIS:
- F
irst, make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the Paleo Mayonnaise, honey, and lemon juice, and whisk to combine into a sweet, creamy dressing. Set it aside. - T
oss the shrimp in a separate bowl with the salt. - I
n a large bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, and add the tapioca starch. Mix to form a smooth batter. No clumps, please! - A
dd the shrimp to the batter and mix well, making sure they are completely coated. - M
elt the ghee in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once the ghee is shimmering, fry the shrimp in three separate batches. Cook the shrimp for
1
to
2
minutes on each side, or until they’re golden on the outside and no longer translucent on the inside. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a wire rack. - W
hen all the batches are done, place the shrimp in a bowl with the honey-mayonnaise sauce, and toss gently to coat the prawns before plating. Sprinkle the Maple-Spiced Walnuts and toasted sesame seeds on the prawns, and serve immediately.
S
ometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s, walnut prawns made their way from
H
ong
K
ong to
C
hinatown restaurants in
S
an
F
rancisco and
L
os
A
ngeles, and have since become a favorite worldwide for those who crave "authentic"
C
hinese food.
B
ut although walnut prawns originated in
A
sia decades ago, this dish (and in particular, its sweet, creamy sauce) was originally inspired by "
W
estern-style"
A
merican cuisine.
I
rony, thy name is "walnut prawns."
Enjoy this dish with a steaming bowl of
Easy Cauliflower "Rice"
!
SPICY COCONUT SHRIMP
This dish originated in the tropical coasts of Southeast Asia, where both coconuts and crustaceans abound. Coconut shrimp has since spread the world over, but my recipe takes it back to its roots, marrying it with another regional specialty: spicy sriracha. This ain’t your momma’s coconut shrimp; sink your teeth into the crunchy, golden coconut crust, and you’ll discover tender shrimp marinated in a fiery Asian chile sauce.
| Makes 4 servings | 1 pound (approximately 20 to 25 ) uncooked large fresh shrimp , peeled and deveined but with tails left intact |
| Hands-on time: 30 minutes | ¼ cup Paleo Sriracha or hot sauce of choice |
| Total time: 1 ½ hours | Finely grated zest from ½ small orange |
| Melted ghee , for greasing | |
| 3 egg whites , lightly beaten | |
| ½ cup arrowroot powder | |
| ¼ cup coconut flour | |
| ¼ cup almond flour | |
| 1 teaspoon kosher salt | |
| ½ teaspoon paprika | |
| ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper | |
| ½ cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut |
