Maine shrimp balls

By patstrand

Ingredients

• M aine shrimp, peeled
• Vegetable oil
• Kosher or sea salt
• Herb Aioli
• In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add lemon zest, herbs, and a few grinds of black pepper.
• Into a measuring cup, add lemon juice and enough milk to equal 1/3 cup
• liquid total. Whisk beaten egg into milk/juice mixture. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Then fold in shrimp.
• Into a deep, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, add 2 inches oil. When the oil reaches 350°, slip scant tablespoons of the batter-and-shrimp mixture into it and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel, and season with salt while still hot. Serve with Garlic-and-Herb Aioli. Yield: 4 servings
• Garlic-and-Herb Aioli
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon chopped shallot
• (or red onion)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
• lemon juice
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• Few drops Tabasco
• Mix all ingredients (add more of each herb to taste if you like). Chill. Serve alongside Shrimp Puffs.

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add lemon zest, herbs, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Into a measuring cup, add lemon juice and enough milk to equal 1/3 cup
liquid total. Whisk beaten egg into milk/juice mixture. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Then fold in shrimp.

Into a deep, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, add 2 inches oil. When the oil reaches 350°, slip scant tablespoons of the batter-and-shrimp mixture into it and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel, and season with salt while still hot. Serve with Herb Aioli.

Herb Aioli

1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped shallot
(or red onion)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
lemon juice
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
Few drops Tabasco

Mix all ingredients (add more of each herb to taste if you like). Chill. Serve alongside Shrimp Puffs.