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For lean protein that’s tasty, low fats, and reasonably priced, you may’t go fallacious with shrimp, particularly should you purchase frozen. I love to do simply that, and stretch it out over many meals. I believe we will all agree that once you’re consuming a whole lot of one specific factor, one of the simplest ways to maintain issues attention-grabbing is to strive new recipes and to seek out completely different cooking strategies for it. And my newest shrimp obsession is to “grill” it utilizing my waffle iron.
Why waffled shrimp works
The waffle iron is likely one of the most versatile home equipment in your kitchen—it is good for a lot greater than making waffles. The advantages of utilizing a waffle maker to cook dinner your wee sea bugs is four-fold: pace, ease, area, and a dry cook dinner (which compares to grilling).
After I waffle my shrimp, I at all times begin with a cleaner counter area; because the prep is all completed beforehand, and my specific waffle maker just isn’t very giant, I want some room to have all my skewers able to go. Then it’s only a matter of switching out the skewers of shrimp within the equipment; as soon as cooked, they’re able to snack on or lay throughout a pile of rice.
The “dry cook dinner” is the largest promoting level for me. I like shrimp, however I do not at all times love consuming moist shrimp, and the waffle iron cures this. (I’m a typically seafood lover, so I can get simply grossed out by an excessive amount of ocean; my fiance traditionally makes an excessive amount of saucy shrimp, so I’ll change to waffling once I’m accountable for dinner.) Equally to grilling, the place you’ve grates, the divots and grooves of the waffle press permit the surplus juices to empty away from the meat. (That is additionally why it is best to waffle some meat.) That, coupled with the excessive warmth of the waffle plates, means you may rapidly focus the flavour with out a lot moisture gathering across the seafood.
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
waffle your shrimp
1. Thaw the shrimp
Waffling your shrimp is particularly good should you’re within the temper for a fast shrimp snack. Because the waffle iron cooks from either side concurrently, my medium shrimp completed cooking in three minutes. If in case you have frozen shrimp otherwise you’re marinating it, thaw them within the fridge in a single day and provides them a seasoning dry rub within the morning so that you’ll be able to waffle them simply earlier than consuming.
2. Marinate
An excellent marinade will be almost any seasoning combine, spice mix, and even salad dressing. As I discussed, I desire dry however flavorful shrimp, so after thawing I’ll pat them dry with paper towel and add them to a bowl with dry seasonings like outdated bay, cayenne pepper powder, a curry powder combine, and salt. Then I’ll drizzle on a teaspoon or so of cooking oil. This makes it simpler to coat the shrimp with the seasonings but additionally prevents them from sticking to the iron.
3. Skewer
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
You don’t must skewer the shrimp, however I wish to as a result of it’s a lot simpler to take away them from the waffle maker and change within the subsequent batch. Additionally, you could contemplate how enjoyable it’s to eat shrimp straight off the skewer. Use bamboo skewers and poke via the facilities of the shrimp—they do not want soaking or any particular remedy. You may skewer as many as will match, however don’t add greater than the size or width of your waffle iron.
4. Waffle
My waffle iron solely has an on-off toggle, however you probably have temperature controls, then put them as much as the best setting. Shrimp cook dinner simply, and enormous or medium shrimp will cook dinner via in three to 4 minutes. When your iron is absolutely preheated, lay down as many skewers as you may match with a couple of half-inch of area between them. Press the lid down and maintain some strain on it for the primary minute or so. Peek within the aspect to see in the event that they’re wanting opaque after three minutes, and take away them in that case. Swap within the subsequent skewers.
In the event you don’t have a waffle iron already otherwise you’re seeking to purchase a brand new one, I extremely suggest one which has detachable plates for simpler cleansing. It’s such a reduction to let the waffle iron calm down whereas I eat my snack shrimp, then come again and come out the plates; the equipment goes into its storage spot and I deal with plates with the remainder of the dishes.
Whereas your waffled shrimp could not have the grill marks or the smoky taste of precise grilled shrimp (maybe you may add some smoked paprika?), heating up the waffle iron is loads simpler than firing up an actual grill. Plus, should you dwell in an house (like I do), otherwise you merely don’t have a grill, this waffle-griddled shrimp offers you numerous taste and loads much less mess.
