Savory profiteroles make for a delightful appetizer or a sophisticated party snack.
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"Forest, how'd
you like to go
into the shrimpin' business
with me?"
I hope you have seen this great movie called Forrest Gump. I fell in love with this movie while I was still living in Ukraine. Forrest Gump stepped out of the pages of Winston Groom's novel, up onto the silver screen, and into the hearts of more than 30 million Americans. If you're lucky, you can count yourself among them.
This movie opened my eyes to the South, where I live at the moment with my family. Living in the low country is an acquired taste and definitely not for everybody, but good for me. I love the pace of living here, and love the hospitality of the people, because it reminds me of my home country's food and its people. Of course, food, fresh seafood is a great privilege to have it readily available and we have plenty of it in our section of the low country.
As you are already guessing, living in the low country and eating fresh, and I mean FRESH SHRIMP, is one of the unwritten rules. A lot of shrimp and blue crabs inhabit these waters, and you can easily catch them yourself.
My boys love shrimp, and I fix them quite often.
If you love to eat shrimp, these are a few must try recipes:
The dish I'm offering you today is one of our favorite summer lunches, and can be used for brunch, dinner, or as an appetizer. You name it, you can create it. Shrimp salad is an essential dish in the South, especially in the summer. It can be served on a roll or on top of a bed of lettuce, in filo cups, etc.
But today I'm offering you beautiful French hors d'oeuvres, which is Savory profiteroles filled with shrimp salad. Sounds fancy, doesn't it? However, it's easy to make and will impress your guests on any occasion.
What are Profiteroles and how to crisp them up if they have been baked ahead of time?
It's a French pastry baked into a ball shape using choux pastry, which are buttery, airy and very flavorful baked goods. They are nice to have on hand and use however you feel like to have a beautiful treat with your loved ones.
I usually bake a large number and then store them in the freezer. When I need them, I place the desired amount onto a baking sheet and place into a 350F oven for 5-10 minutes or until they get the crispiness back.
If you follow my blog, you may have seen my last post about éclairs, if you didn't, please visit this page. I hope the éclair blog will be helpful on how to make and bake choux pastry.
In that blog, I talked about choux pastry and what else can be made with it besides the éclairs. Well, today it's all about profiteroles, which are a different shape than éclairs but exactly the same thing as far as texture and flavor. Profiteroles, after being baked. can be filled with sweet stuff such as vanilla ice-cream, etc., or savory fillings like shrimp salad, which we are doing today.
What is the latest health news on shrimp?
You know me, everything that God created is good for us. Local shrimp are the best, and if you ever are in the South, eat the shrimp. They are exceptional, especially during the shrimp season. Wild caught shrimp is the only shrimp I eat.
This seafood has gotten so popular that it became the most consumed seafood in the US during the last decade, making them a high demand product in the market, which isn't necessarily a good thing. To reach the market, traditional shrimp farms yielded up to 445 pounds per acre. The water is overcrowded with shrimp, and their waste quickly pollutes the water, which can infect the shrimp with disease. In order to solve this problem, shrimp farmers in Asia and South or Central America use large quantities of antibiotics, disinfectants and pesticides that are illegal for use in U.S. shrimp farms. The conditions have become so poor that reports show failure rates in shrimp farming as high as 70 percent to 80 percent. Shrimp disease outbreak has become a prominent and growing concern for shrimp farmers, and as a result, farmers increasingly rely on chemicals that are direct sources of pollution to the shrimp and the environment.
How to buy shrimp and why I love raw shrimp with the heads on?
I always like to buy super fresh raw or live shrimp. Buying with the head on can ensure that they have never been frozen. Plus, head on shrimp can provide a lot of flavors for stocks and sauces. I never recommend buying pre-cooked shrimp for any recipe because it is consistently overcooked and has a very bland taste.
How to thaw shrimp?
If you are going to use frozen shrimp, here is the best way to thaw them. First, remove them from the bag and place in a bowl under cold running water. They will be good in 10-15 minutes. Or you can just place them in a bowl of cold water and let them rest until they are completely defrosted. Once they are defrosted, dry the shrimp on paper towels before using in a recipe.
What do I need to make this dish?
Shrimp, fresh is best. See the video on how to peel and devein shrimp.
Baked Choux pastry, visit this post on how to make and bake choux pastry.
Dill, fresh dill or any other herbs of your choice.
Mayonnaise, homemade is the best.
Onion, red, sweet Vidalia onions or green onions.
Celery, I love to use leaves more than the celery ribs.
Lemon juice
Dijon mustard, use any kind you have on hand.
Shortcuts on making this dish
Make the shells ahead of time and keep in the freezer.
Make mayo ahead of time. Here are my favorite 3 recipes on how to do it or buy your favorite mayo. I love to have good quality mayo on hand in order to whip up any aioli in a blink.
Chop veggies ahead of time for the salad and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I personally never recommend buying pre-. chopped veggies, but you are the king of your dish!
Cook shrimp and keep in a fridge for up to three days. Or you can buy cooked shrimp. This is a very forgiving dish but remember I don't recommend it. Keep in mind that the quality of shrimp is knowing this: "My health is in my hands!
Tips and Variations:
Garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or dill for an extra touch of color and flavor.
Add-ins: Mix in diced avocado, capers, or a splash of hot sauce for added complexity.
Presentation: Serve on a bed of mixed greens or alongside a light soup for a complete meal.
This elegant appetizer is perfect for parties, brunches, or any special occasion. Enjoy!
Let's do it...
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Making time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: approximately 6-8 profiteroles
Author: Inna of innichkachef.com
Ingredients for the shrimp salad:
6-8 choux pastry baked shells (see note above)
1lb peeled and deveined shrimp (any size)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery leaves or ribs.
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (green onion or Vidalia onions)
Juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used homemade in this recipe)
Salt, freshly ground black pepper.
Ingredients for the shrimp stock
half onion
half lemon
few stems of fennel (green part only)
1-2 ribs of celery
half garlic head.
bay leaf (optional)
heads of shrimp
Salt, freshly ground black pepper.
Directions
To make shrimp stock, place onion, lemon, celery, and fennel into a pot. Add salt and pepper. Cover and bring to the boil. After a few minutes add shrimp heads. Bring to a boil again.
Now add shrimp to the stock. Cook for a minute or two or just until the pink color appears. DO NOT OVERCOOK THE SHRIMP! Place the shrimp immediately onto a plate with ice to stop the cooking process, and cool down quickly.
Make the dressing: mix by whisking together the chopped dill, mayo, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Chop the shrimp into half inch pieces, add your dressing and mix together. Taste for seasoning.
Take the choux pastry cups make sure they are crispy, (if you baked them ahead of time, like I did in the video, see how to crisp them up in notes above on profiteroles). Cut in half without cutting all the way through and fill with the shrimp salad. Place on a platter and repeat until all the shells have been filled. Nice company and a cold glass of white wine is all you need to enjoy this delightful appetizer!
I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon or Pinterest.
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