Known as the Spice Smuggler and runner up of the hotly contested photo finish of Season Five�s “The Next Food Network Star,” Jeffrey Saad is now taking the TV and culinary world by storm. He is the host of the web-exclusive series, The Spice Smuggler, on FoodNetwork.com and writes a very successful weekly blog. Building on that tradition, each month Jeffrey will take spices off the rack and bring them to life in his kitchen and on his blog, which can be found at www.jeffreysaad.com. Stand by for a mouth watering experience.
Spice Recipe of the Month:
Five Spice Shrimp Sliders
Five spice is commonly found in China in such dishes as Peking duck. It is my go to spice because it combines the best of everything – a blend of Star Anise, Fennel seed, Cinnamon, Clove, and Szechuan peppercorn (there are other variations as well). I love the balance of the warmth you get from the “baking spices” (cinnamon and clove) the natural sweetness from the star anise and the hint of licorice from the fennel seed. The peppercorn adds a mild, balancing heat but not spicy.
These shrimp sliders represent a victory for me because I love shrimp but my wife does not. I am always trying to create shrimp dishes that will win her over and make her a shrimp fan so we can live happily ever after. This dish did it! This is classic “without borders, spice smuggling”. You have a Chinese spice blend that takes a classic American dish of sliders and takes them for a stop in Korea with the spicy cabbage slaw. The result is one dish that fills your mouth with flavor, gives you a taste of the world and does not take long to make! After one bite of these Shrimp sliders, the five spice powder will be common in your kitchen.
Five Spice Shrimp Sliders Recipe
Ingredients:
10 ea. Lrg shrimp, whole, peeled and deveined
1 � teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon five-spice powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 each shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, chopped
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
� cup mirin
2 cups cabbage, shredded
� cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice
5 each green onion, chopped
� cup carrots, shredded
� cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon chili sauce
5 each mini slider buns, rolls or 4 hamburger buns
Instructions:
The Spicy Slaw
In a large bowl add the cabbage, rice vinegar, orange juice, green onion, carrots, cilantro, chile sauce and 1 tsp of salt. Mix well and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator over night. Stir occasionally to keep ingredients well mixed so that the cabbage “pickles.”
The Shrimp
Pat shrimp dry with paper towel. In a medium bowl toss shrimp with five spice and 1/2 teaspoon salt to coat evenly and thoroughly. In a large saute pan over medium high heat add sesame oil. Once hot add shrimp and saute until golden, about one minute on each side. Remove from pan and set on a plate.
To the same pan add the garlic, ginger and shallots. Saute until golden. Add the mirin and cook until absorbed. Transfer to a medium size bowl. Add the mayonnaise to the bowl. Chop the shrimp into 1/2″ pieces and mix in the bowl.
The Buns
If you can’t find mini buns you can use hot dog buns cut in half. Scoop out the extra bread inside. Spoon the shrimp mixture onto the bottom. Add a large spoonful of the cabbage mixture on top of the shrimp. Let it spill over. Close the bun. Serve on a plate with a garnish of chopped cilantro or a little more of the slaw.
For added texture you can toast the buns under the broiler.
Recipe Notes
Serves: 2.
Preparation Time: 30 minutes.
Inactive Preparation Time: 30 minutes.
Cooking Time: 10 minutes.
