Shrimp cakes

Shrimp Cakes Recipe

Fridays are fish days in our house, especially during Lent. And during Lent the dish I look forward to the most is my dad's shrimp cakes. He uses sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes and spices them up with jalapeños and cilantro.

Ingredients:

1 lb tan-skinned sweet potatoes
4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 Tbsp (or more) vegetable oil
8 oz peeled, cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup fresh cilantro
2/3 cup finely ground breadcrumbs (Japanese panko)
2 Tbsp finely chopped preserved jalapeño chili
2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons Latin Spice Mix (recipe included here)

Latin Spice Mix Recipe

1/4 cup cumin seeds
3 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Combine cumin, peppercorns, and coriander in a heavy medium skillet. Stir over medium heat until fragrant and toasted, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly. Finely grind toasted spices in blender. Transfer to a small bowl. Mix in sugar and salt. Makes 1/2 cup.

Method:

1 Pierce potatoes all over with a fork. Bake in microwave for about 15 minutes until done. Rub a Tbsp of oil over unpeeled garlic. Cook in microwave a few minutes, until soft. Cool garlic and potatoes slightly. Remove peel from garlic. Remove skins from potatoes. Combine potatoes and garlic in a bowl. Mash until smooth.

2 Add shrimp, cilantro, bread crumbs, chili, onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of Latin Spice Mix. Stir to blend well. Season with salt. Form mixture into six 3-inch-diameter patties.

3 Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat cakes in flour. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cakes in batches until brown, adding more oil if necessary, about 2 minutes per side. Place on baking sheet. Bake until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Tastes great served with lemon, tartar sauce, and coleslaw.

Makes six large cakes.

Dan's note: these are very good!