Ann Maloney
THE WASHINGTON POST – Inside this 30-minute spicy shrimp bowl recipe are two mini recipes – a clever, flavour-bomb of a sauce and a quick spiced-nut technique. I’ve committed both to memory and have since carried them over to other dishes.
I love when I find little gems – a nugget of wisdom on a technique, a sauce or a flavour combo – that makes me a better, faster and nimbler cook.
The shrimp bowl comes from Feeding the Frasers by Sammy Moniz, a cookbook featuring 100 recipes that Moniz makes for her family, including her husband, champion CrossFit athlete Mat Fraser. The cookbook features dishes drawn from her popular Instagram account of the same name.
If you make a few of the recipes, you’ll see why Moniz has almost 400,000 followers. This dish is an example of the ease and flavour she embraces.
SPICY CASHEW SHRIMP BOWL
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: Four
Storage Notes: Refrigerate the shrimp and rice separately for up to three days.
INGREDIENTS
Three tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
One cup cashews, dry roasted
Two tablespoons sweet chilli sauce, divided
One teaspoon finely grated orange zest (from one large orange)
One teaspoon white sesame seeds, plus more for serving
One pound peeled, deveined medium shrimp, defrosted if frozen
One-quarter cup fine white cornmeal
One-quarter teaspoon fine black pepper
One-quarter cup low-sodium soy sauce
Three tablespoons rice vinegar
Three tablespoons ketchup
One teaspoon sesame oil
One teaspoon minced or grated garlic
Half teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
Steamed white rice, for serving
One-quarter cup sliced scallions, for serving
DIRECTIONS
In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the cashews and one tablespoon of the chili sauce.
Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, three to four minutes. Move the cashews to a plate, and sprinkle with the orange zest and sesame seeds. Toss to distribute the zest and seeds.
Pat the shrimp dry. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal and pepper until combined. Toss the shrimp with the seasoned cornmeal to coat. Shake off any excess flour before cooking.
Line a platter with a paper towel or a kitchen towel. In the same skillet over medium heat, heat two tablespoons of olive oil until hot, about one minute. Drop a bit of cornmeal into the oil: If it sizzles vigorously, the oil is hot enough. Working in batches, fry the shrimp until golden and cooked through, about two minutes on each side, adjusting the heat and adding more oil, as needed. Transfer the cooked shrimp to the prepared platter when they are done.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and remaining one tablespoon of chilli sauce until well combined.
When all of the shrimp are fried, reduce the heat to low. Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and pour the sauce mixture over.
Toss the shrimp with the sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens and coats the shrimp, two to three minutes. Remove from the heat.
Serve the shrimp over steamed rice, topped with cashews, scallions and more sesame seeds, if desired.
Nutrition information per serving (half cup rice and scant cup shrimp) | Calories: 724; Total Fat: 39g; Saturated Fat: 6g; Cholesterol: 170mg; Sodium: 963mg; Carbohydrates: 58g; Dietary Fibre: 3g; Sugar: 10g; Protein: 38g.
