Crispy Shrimp with Caramelized Orange Sauce- plus a Giveaway!

Two good things at once – a new recipe plus a giveaway of a Cuisinart Mandoline Slicer. This giveaway is open to people in all countries and closes on December 3, 2013. All you need to do is make a comment stating what your favourite December holiday recipe is and then “like” my G’day Souffle’ Facebook page (see details below). Qualify for an extra entry by subscribing to my blog via email. Thanks so much for following my blog!

Enter to win this Cuisinart Mandoline Slicer (see below)

Crispy Shrimp with Caramelized Orange Sauce

Crispy tempura-battered shrimp and hot caramelized orange sauce – I’m drooling already! Thanks to the cookbook Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration, I’ve discovered a new approach to Chinese cuisine, one that combines traditional Chinese dishes with French methods of making sauces – and there’s a bit of Mediterranean influences thrown in as well.

Susanna Foo is the winner of two James Beard Awards and has two restaurants in the United States. Her approach to food is fresh, fast and using readily accessible ingredients.

The Caramelized Orange Sauce for this recipe is the best orange sauce I have ever tasted. The addition of grated ginger and a hint of fish sauce gives the sauce a new dimension that goes beyond the usual syrupy orange sauces that we are familiar with.

I call this a ‘two-hat’ recipe; you can either put on your Chinese chef’s hat or your French chef’s hat when making this delicious recipe, adapted from the Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration cookbook.

Serves 4

Caramelized Orange Sauce

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp peeled fresh ginger, grated
• 2 star anise
• 2 tbsp grated orange zest
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch combined with 1 tbsp cold water

1.  Place the sugar and water in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the sugar caramelizes and turns a light golden color.
2. Add the garlic, ginger and star anise and stir for about 20 seconds.
3. Add the remaining ingredients  and stir over medium-ow heat until the mixture thickens, about 10 – 15 minutes.
4. Strain through a sieve and set aside.

 Tempura Batter

According to Susanna, the club soda in this recipe makes the batter fluffy.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup club soda, chilled
• 1/4 cup water

1. Combine the flour, cornstarch and baking powder in a large bowl. Gradually mix in the egg yolk, club soda and water (the batter will be rather thick).

The Main Recipe (putting it all together)

•  16 large of jumbo shrimp
• 1 large orange, peel julienned and fruit segmented
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, julienned
• Vegetable or peanut oil for deep-frying
• Caramelized Orange Sauce (recipe above)
• Tempura Batter (recipe above)
• Bok Choy or other green vegetable for garnish

1. Rinse and de-vein the shrimp.
2. Julienne the red bell pepper. First, cut the pepper in half lengthwise, remove the inner seeds and pith and slice into very thin strips about 2 – 3 inches long.
3. Julienne the orange. First, slice off a small piece from the top and bottom of the orange. Turn the orange on its side and gradually cut off the outer skin while rotating the orange.

4.  Cut the orange peel into segments about 2 – 3 inches long, square off the sides and then slice into very thin julienne strips. Remove any white pith still attached to the peel.

5.  Segment the orange slices by slicing in-between the membranes. Set the fruit aside in a bowl covered with a little orange juice to keep it moist while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

6.  In a small saucepan, cook the julienned orange peel in boiling water for several minutes to remove any bitter taste. Remove the peel from the water and boil the julienned red bell pepper in the same water for several minutes to soften.

7. Deep fry the shrimp. First, heat 3 inches of oil in a deep fry pan or wok until very hot. Dip the shrimp in the tempura batter to coat lightly, then shake off any excess batter. Drop the shrimp into the hot oil and deep-fry until golden brown, turning once. Frying time should only be 1 – 2 minutes maximum. Remove the shrimp using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.

8.  Cook the Bok Choy (or other vegetables). I cooked my Bok Choy in a saucepan with some chicken stock for several minutes, in order to give it more flavour.

9.  Re-heat the Caramelized Orange Sauce. To plate the dish, place 4 – 6 shrimp on a plate with the Bok Choy (or other vegetable). Garnish with several orange slices and sprinkle some of the julienned orange peel and red peppers around the top.

Giveaway Details

• This Cuisinart Mandoline has 4 cutting options, plus a cross-hatch option for making waffle fries.
• this giveaway is ‘unsponsored’- I am providing this ‘out of my own pocket.’
• entry is open to people in all countries- there are no regional restrictions.
• To enter, place a comment at the end of the post stating what your favorite recipe is for the December holiday (Christmas, Hanukkah, or…..). Also “like” my G’day Souffle’ Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/gdaysouffle
• To qualify for an extra entry in this draw, subscribe to my blog via email notification. https://www.gdaysouffle.com. Please enter an additional comment letting me know you have also subscribed to my blog.
• The deadline for entries is midnight December 3, 2013 USA Pacific Standard time.
• The winner will be drawn on December 4, 2013 and notified by email.
• Please ensure I have your email details when you leave your comment so I can notify you by email.
• Thanks so much for following my blog!