Risole de Camarão

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 4-liter pot for the dough
• •Wide sauté pan for the filling
• •Rolling pin
• •9 cm (3 1/2 inch) round cutter or glass
• •Heavy 3-liter pot or Dutch oven for frying
• •Wire rack set over a tray
• •Deep-fry thermometer, helpful but not mandatory

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the shrimp

   Pat the shrimp dry, chop any large ones into small pieces, and toss them with the lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Let them sit for 10 minutes, no longer. The salt seasons the shrimp all the way through, and the short rest keeps the lime from making them tight and rubbery before they even touch the pan.

2. 2

   Build the refogado

   Warm the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it murcha, soft and see-through, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic for one minute, just until you smell it, then stir in the tomato and tomato paste. Cook until the tomato loses its raw edge and turns thick and glossy. That's your base. No packet, no shrimp powder pretending to be flavor.

   Garlic burns faster than your confidence on a bad Tuesday. Onion first, garlic second. This is how the refogado tastes sweet and round instead of bitter.
3. 3

   Cook the filling

   Add the shrimp to the refogado and stir just until they turn pink and opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the 2 tablespoons flour and stir for 1 minute so the flour loses its raw taste. Pour in the 1/2 cup milk and cook, stirring, until the filling becomes creamy and thick enough to mound on a spoon. Take it off the heat, stir in the herbs and black pepper, then taste for salt. The filling must be thick, because a runny filling opens the half-moon in the oil and makes a mess you did not deserve.

4. 4

   Cool the filling

   Spread the filling on a plate and let it cool completely. Cold filling behaves. Hot filling softens the dough, weakens the seal, and then you stand there blaming yourself when the risole opens. No. Blame the hot filling.

5. 5

   Cook the dough

   Put the 2 cups milk, 1 cup water, butter, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a heavy pot. Bring it to a full boil, then lower the heat and dump in the 3 cups flour all at once. Stir hard with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides in one thick ball and a thin film forms on the bottom of the pot, 3 to 4 minutes. This cooks the flour and gives the dough strength, so it folds instead of tearing.

6. 6

   Knead it smooth

   Tip the warm dough onto a lightly oiled counter. Fold and press it with a spatula until it is cool enough to handle, then knead with your hands for 2 minutes, just until smooth. Cover it with a clean towel and rest 10 minutes. The rest keeps the surface from drying and makes the dough roll without fighting you.

7. 7

   Cut the rounds

   Roll half the dough at a time to about 1/8 inch thick, keeping the rest covered. Cut 3 1/2 inch rounds with a cutter or the rim of a glass. Same-size circles cook evenly and look tidy without anyone needing pastry-school drama. Gather scraps, rest them 5 minutes, and roll again.

8. 8

   Fill and seal

   Put 1 level tablespoon of cold shrimp filling in the center of each round. Fold the dough over into a half-moon and press the edges closed with your fingertips, then pinch once more along the rim. Don't overfill. A generous spoonful is lovely on the plate and terrible in the fryer if it breaks the seal.

9. 9

   Bread the risoles

   Beat the eggs with the 1/4 cup milk in a shallow bowl. Put the breadcrumbs in another. Dip each risole in the egg mixture, let the excess drip off, then coat in breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the crumb sticks. Set them on a tray and chill 15 minutes. That little rest sets the coating so it fries crisp instead of sliding off into the oil.

10. 10

    Fry until golden

    Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 175°C (350°F). If you don't have a thermometer, drop in a pinch of breadcrumbs: it should sizzle right away and turn golden slowly, not burn dark in seconds. Fry 4 or 5 risoles at a time until deep golden, about 2 to 3 minutes, turning once. Crowd the pot and the oil cools down, the coating drinks oil, and a good snack turns heavy. Drain on a wire rack and serve with lime wedges if you like.

Chef Tips

• •Buy shrimp that smells clean and sweet, never sharp or tired. Frozen raw peeled shrimp is an honest Tuesday shortcut. The cost is that you lose the shells, which would make a better broth for the dough, but the risole still works.
• •If you do have shrimp shells, simmer them in the 1 cup water for 10 minutes, strain, and use that liquid in the dough. That's flavor from food, not a cube. A cube makes everything taste like the cube.
• •Cool the filling completely before shaping. Warm filling is the little betrayal that opens your risole in the oil.
• •Use fine dry breadcrumbs, not big coarse crumbs. The fine crumb gives the smooth padaria-style crust that hugs the dough.
• •Freeze them breaded and raw on a tray, then bag them once firm. Fry straight from frozen at 170°C (340°F), adding 1 to 2 minutes, and don't thaw them first.

Advance Preparation

• •The shrimp filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
• •The dough can be made 1 day ahead, wrapped tightly, and refrigerated. Let it sit out for 30 minutes before rolling so it softens.
• •Breaded raw risoles freeze well for up to 2 months. Freeze in a single layer first, then transfer to a bag or container.
• •Fried risoles are best right away, but leftovers can be reheated in a 180°C (350°F) oven until the crust feels crisp again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 80g)