Prawns and potato fritters make up a traditional Easter dish in the Caribbean. Though Easter has just passed us by, the simple dish is still worth a try still.
Prawn and potato fritters
Ingredients
250 gms warm mashed potatoes
2 tbsp butter (cut into bits)
1 tbsp butter (for sautéing)
100 gms mild cheddar cheese (grated)
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp cilantro / coriander (chopped)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
250 gms shrimp (peeled and de-veined)
1 medium onion (chopped)
50 gms refined flour
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 cup fine bread crumbs
Method
To the warm mashed potatoes, add the 4 tbsp butter bits, cheese, egg yolk, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients together until smooth. Cover and set aside.
Chop the raw shrimp into coarse bits. In a heavy skillet, melt the 1 tbsp remaining butter. Sauté the onion until it is translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the shrimp and sauté until the shrimp just turns pink (about 2 minutes). Do not overcook. Add the shrimp and onions to the potato mix and stir together.
To form the fritters, lightly flour your hands, scoop out 3 tbsp of the shrimp and potato mix, and shape into elliptical cylinders or bomba (in Caribbean). Gently roll the bomba in flour and shake off the excess flour. Dip a pastry brush into the beaten egg. Gently brush the egg onto the bomba and then roll in the bread crumbs. Place the coated bomba on wax paper. When you are finished shaping all the bombas, place them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before frying.
Deep fry the bombas at 180 degrees Celsius for about two minutes and then turn them over and fry another two minutes. They should be golden brown on both sides. Only fry four or five at a time. Serve.
