How To Make Shrimp Appetizers

Serving seafood as appetizers at a party is a good idea. Seafood is healthy, delicious, and can be served in attractive, bite-sized servings. Since seafood is low in calories and high in iodine, the guests can have as much of these food items as they want. However, party hosts need to spice up these seafood dishes and should not be content with merely serving the ubiquitous shrimp cocktail, since party-goers are now more discriminating with regard to what they eat.

If you are at a loss on what to do, here are a couple of unique, easy recipes that could make you an appetizer guru in the eyes of your guests. These recipes are so delectable that your guests may not even notice your main course or dessert!

Chinese style shrimp in garlic sauce

Ingredients:

• 500 grams peeled shrimp
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons corn flour
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• Oil for deep frying, plus 1 tablespoon extra
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons hoi sin sauce
• 1 tablespoon bean sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 6 spring onions cut into 3 cm pieces on the diagonal
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 6 lemon wedges
• 125 g vermicelli cut into 3 cm pieces on the diagonal

1. Place the shrimp in a large bowl. Process the egg white, corn flour and 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar in a food processor until smooth. Pour over shrimp, season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and stir to combine. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, and then drain well.
2. Fill a large heavy-based saucepan one-third full of oil and heat to 190 degrees C or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 10 seconds. Add the noodles and cook for 10 seconds or until puffed up. Drain on crumpled paper towels. Gently add the shrimps to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimps change color. Drain on paper towels.
3. Heat pan over medium heat, add the extra oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir fry for 30 seconds, then add the hoi sin sauce, bean sauce, oyster sauce and the remaining vinegar, and stir to combine for 1 minute. Add the shrimps to the sauce and toss to coat then add the spring onion, cooking for 1-2 minutes or until soft. Arrange the shrimps on plates of crispy noodles, garnish with the coriander, and serve with some lemon wedges on the side.

Note: You can disregard the noodles, and the shrimp can be eaten on its own if you want to make this recipe even easier.

Shrimp with cheese

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoon butter
• Can of enchilada sauce
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 big tomato
• 8 oz mushroom
• 1 lb cooked shrimp
• A pinch of capsicum
• ½ cup cheese
• 1 jalapeno diced
• 1/8 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chicken cubes

In a pan melt the butter and then add the garlic and the chili. Sauté for a while till you see that the butter is golden but not burnt. Add the sauce, and chicken cubes and let it cook for 4 minutes. In another pan, cook butter, mushroom, capsicum and tomato sauce for approximately 4 minutes. Mix the sauce thoroughly. Add the shrimp, cheese and cilantro. Cover for a few minutes and enjoy your snack.

Appetizers make you all the more psyched up for the main course. Once you have tried these two recipes, you will end up doing it more often than usual. Try both and you will never regret cooking up these yummy shrimp delights.