Fast Food: Flash Fried Garlic Rum Shrimp

We live in an age when pizza gets to your home before the police. – Jeff Arder

This plate does not use the optional cream. If making this for a guest use it.
It will push this dish over the top!

I was visiting my mother in the village where I grew up a short time ago. We stay in the house across the street where my Great Aunt lived. It’s a beautiful village and we have many wonderful friends there. That’s a positive. It’s 30 minutes away from the closest grocery store. That’s a negative. 

Garlic, chilli flakes and butter...Mmmm.

We do have a wonderful corner store/gas station that sells an amazing array of food. For a small village we are very lucky to have that store. 

Not only do they have the usuals like ice cream, chips and the like, but they also prepare pizzas and donairs several times a week (which are better than most in Halifax).

“Stewie’s” is also associated with a local baker who sells fresh bread, cookies, etc. They are a Castle Building Centre so you can get pretty much any building supply you need, plus they serve fresh coffee. It’s quite a place. Oh, and they have a liquor outlet.

The village is at the foot of a series of lakes that explode with “cabin people” during the summer and fall, so that's part of the reason the store is so diverse. I would suspect the population goes from about 200 in the winter to several thousand in the summer. With a market base like that the store should have success for a very long time.

I discovered you can cook shrimp from frozen. These shrimp are
not peeled. It's up to you. Peeling down to the tail will make
them easier to eat, but the shells add a little more flavour.

But I’m getting sidetracked. This is about shrimp. But why didn’t I just go get something to eat at the store? It’s because Stewie’s closes at 8pm during the winter. I had to make do with what was in the house. Shudder...

The only thing I had in the house was shrimp…and they were frozen. (Bright side: 1 lb bags of shrimp are on sale this week for $5 at the SuperStore!!) 

I had limited other “resources” in the house because we only visit. But I still pulled off a stellar snack in record time, and found out you CAN cook shrimp from frozen.

Garlic, butter and chilli is about all this takes. The rum was gilding the lily, so to speak. Always remember whenever using liquor in a recipe to only use what you would enjoy drinking. The better your rum, the better the flavour.

As an afterthought I have written in a couple of tablespoons of cream to make a slight sauce. That would make this “snack” over the top.

Although this is called “fast food” (which it is being ready in 7 minutes) I wouldn’t hesitate to serve these shrimp as an impressive date starter or with your significant other.

Even though six shrimp would be considered one serving I would suggest if you have company you double the recipe… I have to admit I ate all 12, and still wanted more!

I really should have used the optional cream.
These were fantastic, but...

Flash Fried Garlic Rum Shrimp

Prep: 2 min  |  Cook 5 min  |  Serves 2

12 frozen shrimp

1 tbsp butter

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

2 tbsp dark or amber rum

salt

cracked black pepper

optional: 2 tbsp coffee cream

Heat the oil on high in a frying pan. Add the garlic and chilli flakes. Sauté until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the frozen shrimp to the garlic chilli mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you wish you can peel the shrimp leaving just the tail shell on before adding. It makes eating them a little more “elegant.” In hindsight I should have

Let the shrimp cook cook for about 2 minutes on one side. Liquid will exude from the frozen shellfish. Turn the shrimp over and add the rum into the pan. If using the cream, add it now as well. Let cook for another two minutes until the liquid is nearly evaporated(or slightly thickened if using cream.)

Turn the shrimp one more time and let cook until just pink, about another 30 seconds.

Serve immediately with the chilli garlic sauce poured over the top.

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