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How to Make Shrimp Cakes with Beurre Blanc Sauce

Two shrimp cakes on a plate with Beurre Blanc Sauce and arugula greens

This recipe is more of an appetizer than a full-size meal. It is best paired with arugula greens. Use jumbo shrimp if can. The easiest way to ground the shrimp and mixing all the ingredients is by using a food processor. However, you may manually mince them and mix the ingredients by hand if preferred, just keep in mind that it will be time-consuming.

Shrimp cakes on a bed of arugula greens are best paired with Beurre Blanc sauce. It is divine I’m telling you! Enjoy the crunchiness of the shrimp cakes and the freshness of the arugula with the silky-smooth tasting of the Beurre Blanc sauce. When making the sauce, it is imperative to keep the cold butter in the fridge. So come, join me in learning how to make Shrimp Cakes with Beurre Blanc sauce.

Recipe Origins

The Original Recipe was Kahuku Shrimp Cake Source: Greg Stoll, Voyager Grille, Kauai Beach at Makaiwa. It was modified a bit to accommodate a smaller portion. The original recipe was for 2lbs (1-2 dozen cakes) for shrimp which we felt was just a little too much shrimp for a family to make at home.

We also tried to keep the ingredients a little less specific. The original recipe calls for Kahuku shrimp. While we agree there is nothing like fresh Kahuku shrimp it’s very difficult for someone around the globe to order fresh Kahuku shrimp easily.

We’ve tried the original recipe and the taste is pretty much the same.


How to Make Shrimp Cakes with Beurre Blanc Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 lb jumbo raw shrimp, shell peeled off and deveined
  • ½ small red onions, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp minced garlic
  • ¼ cup baby carrots, grated
  • ½ tsp cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp raw honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs or bread crumbs
  • 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or canola oil (for frying)
  • A handful of arugula greens

Passion Orange Guava Beurre Blanc Sauce

  • 2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • ½ cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
  • ¼ cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar (unseasoned)
  • ¼ cup POG (Passion Orange Guava) juice (optional, you may use any fruit you desired)
  • 1 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
  • Dashes of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (adjust to taste)

Item’s you’ll need

  • Measuring cups, bowl, spoons
  • Cutting board
  • Knives
  • Food processor
  • Rubber and wooden spatulas
  • Saran wrap
  • Large frying pan
  • Mold or improvised mason jar lid as mold (I used a 24 oz Classico pasta sauce lid)
  • Parchment or was paper
  • 1 ½ tbsp scoop
  • Cookie sheet
  • Medium-size saucepan
  • Silicone whisk or wire whip
  • Plate
  • Fork

Instructions

Grind the Shrimp

adding shrimp to food processor for Shrimp Cakes with Beurre Blanc Sauce

In a mixing bowl, place the raw shrimp and rinse. Peel off the shell (skip if using tail-off shrimp) and deveined. Rinse again and cut them in half. Place them into the food processor. Pulse and grind but still keep it somewhat chunky.

Make the Shrimp Mixture

Eggs, carrots and ground shrimp in a food processor

In the food processor with the ground shrimp, place the rest of the ingredients except Panko bread and olive or canola oil. Pulse once again until all ingredients are well incorporated. Stop at any time and push the stuck ingredients to the bottom. Pulse as needed until your desired texture is achieved. Place the shrimp mixture on the counter and set aside.

Make the Patties

Hand with ice cream scoop placing raw shrimp cake into lid

Use a mold to your desired size (I improvised by using a mason jar lid as a mold), place it on a flat surface. Put a saran wrap on top. Scoop a couple of spoons of the mixture and place it in the mold. Using a rubber spatula, evenly flatten the top. Carefully roll the pattie in the Panko bread until well coated. Place the patties on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat the process until the entire mixture is consumed. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until ready to use.

Make the POG Beurre Blanc Sauce

Beurre Blanc Sauce cooking down in a pot on a stove

Cut the cold unsalted butter into ½-inch cubes. It is important to keep the butter refrigerated until ready to use. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all ingredients except butter and seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. When the liquid starts to boil, turn the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced to a tablespoon. Place the saucepan on a cold burner and turn it on to the lowest settings. Gradually whisk in 3-4 cubes of the unsalted butter until they are melted. Continue to whisk until you are down to the last 4 cubes. Turn the heat off and whisk in the remaining butter until the sauce is thick and smooth. Strain the onions out and discard them. place the sauce back into the saucepan and season with Kosher salt and pepper. Set aside and leave the saucepan on the hot burner but make sure the stove is completely off. The heating element is important to keep the ingredients intact and the taste to be silky and smooth.

Fry or Pan-Seared the Patties

Shrimp Cakes frying on a pan with oil

Let’s fry or pan-seared the patties. In a heated frying pan heat some cooking oil over medium heat. Place the patties and fry or sear them for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown. Flip it over and cook the other side for equal time or until both sides are golden brown. Place the cooked patties on a paper towel-lined plate.

Plating and Taste Test

adding beurre blanc sauce to shrimp cakes

Let’s put our appetizer together by placing a handful of arugula greens on a plate. Put the cooked shrimp cakes on the bed of arugula greens. Pour over the POG Beurre Blanc sauce and garnish with some finely chopped cilantro! Serve warm and enjoy!

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OscWolf
OscWolf
2021-06-20
OscWolf

This sounds so good. I will have to try it.