Shrimp-Eggplant Beignets With Remoulade Sauce

Rita~'s Note:

A cajun dish. A deep fried yummy Shrimp-Eggplant Beignets served with my sauce. Or use your own sauce. A big hit at my house. Adjust the oil so it not too hot when cooking. The eggplant gives the dough an extra creaminess. Go ahead and salt, rinse and dry your eggplant if you normally do it. I never do and I enjoy the slight bitterness eggplant has. To each your own! ;)

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 15

Yield: 4.0 dozen

Beignets

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 eggplant (5 cups peeled and diced)
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 small sweet onion , diced
• ¼ cup celery , finely diced
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon chili pepper flakes
• 1 lb peeled and cleaned shrimp , coarsely chopped
• vegetable oil (or peanut oil)
• 3 large eggs , lightly beaten
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Remoulade Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup finely chopped scallion
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 stalk finely chopped celery
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Remoulade Sauce-- Whisk together all ingredients. Cover and chill 1 hour.
2. Beignets-- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add eggplant and next 5 ingredients; cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Add shrimp; cook 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat, and cool.
6. Pour oil to depth of 3 inches in a Dutch oven; heat to 360°F.
7. Whisk together eggs and next 3 ingredients; whisk in flour just until moistened.
8. Fold in eggplant mixture.
9. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls into hot oil.
10. Fry beignets, a few at a time, 3 minutes or until golden, turning once.
11. Drain on paper towels.
12. Serve immediately with Remoulade Sauce.

Reviews

[La Dilettante]

Yes!!!!!

[FloridaNative]

OMG ~ these are just to die for :) WONDERFUL flavor, and they cooked up so fast. I used fresh baby white eggplant from my garden, and 2 very large garlic cloves. I think next time I'll add a bit more red pepper flakes, and salt (I cut the salt to 1 teaspoon and should have added 1 1/2 as written).I ended up with 40 beignets, and they were a healthy size. ~Rita~, thanks so much for a FABULOUS recipe ~ this one definitely goes in the keeper cookbook and in my opinion, would be very impressive to serve to company. BRAVO! Made for ZWT5, Bodacious Brickhouse Babes.

[breezermom]

Very light and fluffy fried seafood beignets. They were like tempura...very light and fluffy. I chose this because I have way too many eggplants from the garden, and this was a very unique way to use them. A bonus...my DS ate eggplant and enjoyed it for the first time! I used Virginia Cherry Blossom's Creole Remoulade Sauce 373985 because I really like capers in my remoulade sauce, plus she is a Senorita!! Made for ZWT5.