Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Aioli

These delicious little shrimp cakes are a classic go to for an easy breezy summer dinner.  Served with some rice and sugar snap peas - you have yourself a perfect summer night.  I love this recipe because of it's simplicity and quickness.  My husband and kids love them because of their mouth watering taste - they are really so good!  They're dairy free but do contain egg.  If you aren't a fan of shrimp or for a kosher version, try dicing 16 ounces of salmon and use the same technique and ingredients.  Also, I'm sorry for not getting a post up sooner.  It's been busy over here but I promise to try to post more frequently.  I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful start to summer.  

La Recette:

Ingredients-

1.5 lbs. shrimp chopped - buy the shrimp peeled and deveined if you want to save a little time.

1 cup gluten free bread crumbs *

3 eggs

2 scallions - chopped

1/2 cup corn - frozen or fresh

1/4 cup cilantro or Italian parsley - chopped plus extra for garnish

1/4 cup canola oil - plus a lithe extra if needed

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon smoked paprika 

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Lemon Aioli-

1/2 cup mayonaise

1/2 teaspoon garlic - minced

1 tablespoon tabasco sauce (you can reduce this if you don't like a lot of spice)

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Supplies-

Cutting board

Chef's knife

Large bowl

2 -medium bowls

Measuring cups and spoons

Rasp or zester

Whisk

Sautè pan

Large plate or platter lined with paper towel.

Directions-

-Combine the shrimp, bread crumbs, scallions, corn, cilantro (or Italian parsley), lemon juice and zest, paprika, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and cayenne pepper into a large bowl.  Mix well.

-Crack the eggs into one of the medium bowls and whisk well.  Pour over the shrimp combination and mix until everything is combined.

-Pour 1/4 cup of canola oil into the sauté pan and heat until very hot.  You should hear the shrimp cakes sizzle when they are put into the pan.  Using 1/4 to 1/3 cup, scoop out the shrimp mixture and form into patties.  You can really make any size you would like, but this size make about 16 cakes.  Place them onto the sauté pan and cook for about 3 minutes/side.  Pay attention to the heat - you might need to turn it down a little once the cakes go on.  

-Once the cakes are done, place them on a large plate or platter lined with paper towel so it can absorb any excess oil.  Repeat the process until all of the shrimp mixture has been used.  You might need to add a few more tablespoons of canola oil between batches if the pan starts to look a little dry.  

-For the ailoi, combine all of the ingredients into a medium bowl and mix well.  

-Have a your serving dishes ready.  Serve warm and enjoy!

-This dinner pairs well with La Caña 2013 Albariño or one of your favorite beers.

-Makes ~ 16 cakes.  Serves 4 adults.

-Both recipes can be doubled.

*I'm going to post a video about this to show how easy it is, but don't ever buy bread crumbs.  Grind up any leftover bread or ends that you have in a blender or food processor.