Fried goodness

It seems that there is always a constant with chain restaurant menus. Besides the burgers and quesadillas, the lettuce wraps and club sandwiches, the artichoke dip and chicken wings, you can always expect to find fried prawns in some form. Sometimes they’re coated with coconut, sometimes beer batter, sometimes breadcrumbs and most always good. To me, fried prawns are just a no-brainer…a tasty bite that always hits the spot. (Who am I kidding? Fried anything ranks pretty high on my list.) 

Armed with two bags of the new Tostitos Artisan Recipes tortilla chips that arrived on my doorstep via the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I immediately started thinking of ways to use these chips in a recipe that wasn’t dip or nachos. I wanted to go outside the norm a bit to try to mingle the chips with some flavors that you might not taste them with otherwise. Andy and I brainstormed and came up with a few ideas before deciding on pan-fried breaded shrimp. 

Since I had two different flavors of Tostitos to try (fire-roasted chipotle and roasted garlic & black bean), I wanted to pair each with a unique set of ingredients while keeping the method the same for both. And I had to work quickly since Andy had broken into the bags and was scarfing them down at an alarming rate. (I just read him that sentence and his defense was, “Well, they’re good!” A valid point.)

Chipotle Orange Shrimp with Chipotle Cream 

4 handfuls Fire-Roasted Chipotle Tostitos tortilla chips
12 large shrimp, peeled, tail-on (I used 21-25 count)
1 egg, beaten
a couple handfuls of flour
olive oil

Marinade:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Chipotle Cream Sauce:
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

See cooking method below.

Black Bean, Garlic and Lime Shrimp with Avocado Cream

4 handfuls Roasted Garlic & Black Bean Tostitos tortilla chips
12 large shrimp, peeled, tail-on (I used 21-25 count)

1 egg, beaten
a couple handfuls of flour
canola oil

Marinade:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Avocado Cream Sauce:
1 avocado, mashed
1/4 cup sour cream
salt, to taste 

For each recipe, follow these directions: 

Put chips into food processor and grind into a fine crumb. Transfer to a plate and reserve. 

Mix all marinade ingredients together and add shrimp. Marinate 30 minutes in refrigerator. 

Meanwhile, mix all sauce ingredients together and reserve. (The avocado cream sauce gets much smoother by pureeing it in a mini food processor.) 

When ready to cook, remove shrimp from marinade and dredge first in the flour, then the egg, and finally the chips, making sure to press chips firmly onto shrimp and coating completely. Heat oil in a frying pan and pan-fry the shrimp for a few minutes per side until cooked through, flipping carefully to avoid cracking the breading. (You will need to do this in batches, and will need to wipe out the pan in between.) 

When shrimp are done, drizzle with respective sauces or serve on the side to dip. 

This turned out to be a very successful experiment. The chip breading got crispy and crunchy and you could really taste the difference in flavors. The chipotle shrimp was very smoky, with a hint of orange and a nice amount of spice at the finish. The black bean and garlic shrimp was more subtle, allowing the shrimp flavor to come through with the tang of lime. I chose the chipotle as my favorite, while Andy like the black bean and garlic best. Different strokes for different folks… 

Now I’m thinking of Sly and The Family Stone. That’s going to be stuck in my head all day…I-I-I am everyday people. 

(As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I get to try out new products from time to time and received these complimentary bags of Tostitos chips to experiment with.)