You’re Having a Last-Minute Cocktail Party

It's Thursday, and you just got back from a business trip.

You're thinking you'd like to see some of your friends this weekend.

And it's been a while since you've had people over.  You have a big party planned for next month, so you want to just have something simple this weekend.

A cocktail party!  Ok, that's do-able last minute.

Now the cocktails are easy.  But what about the apps?

This is a recipe I got from a Fine Cooking magazine this past recipe that I can't wait to serve at my next cocktail party.  My husband and I loved it, and ate a half pound of shrimp between us.  It's SO good!!

Not only does it taste amazing, and have a good satisfying crunch, it's totally easy to prepare ahead of time, and won't have to worry about keeping this appetizer warm/cold, serving it fresh so it doesn't get soggy, etc.  

It's by far the perfect "breaded" appetizer.

So the next time you want to throw an ad hoc cocktail party, go for it!  You have the perfect recipe for an appetizer that will get your guests totally excited for what's to come. 

Until our next meal,

Rebecca

Shrimp With Spicy Garlic Mayo and Breadcrumbs

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 4 Tbs Minced Garlic
• 2 Tsp Cornstarch
• 4 Slices Hearty White Sandwich Bread
• 1 Tbs Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Mayonnaise
• 1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
• 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Scallion
• 1 Tbs Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 Tbs Minced Jalapeno
• 2 Lbs. Tail-On Jumbo Shrimp, Shelled and Deveined

Directions:

Breadcrumbs:

1. Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a small wok or saucepan over high heat until shimmering hot.
2. In a small bowl, mix the garlic with the cornstarch and a pinch of salt. Shake the bowl until there isn't any excess cornstarch.
3. Fry the garlic in the oil, stirring gently, until the garlic is light golden brown, about 1 minute.
4. Put the garlic on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb the excess oil, and cool to room temperature.
5. Heat the oven to 275 degrees F. Pulse the bread in a food processor until the crumbs are uniform in size.
6. In a large bowl, mix the crumbs with the olive oil until even coated. (Really easy if you use your fingers!)
7. Transfer the crumbs to a foil-lined baking sheet and bake, stirring once or twice, until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.
8. Let the crumbs cool to room temperature, and then transfer them to a medium, shallow serving bowl and stir in 2 Tsp of the reserved fried garlic. (Save the remaining garlic for the mayo.)

Spicy Mayo:

1. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cilantro, scallion, jalapeno, lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and the remaining fried garlic.
2. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

Ready to Serve:

1. Cook the shrimp if they're not already cooked, and let them cool for 10 minutes.
2. Transfer the shrimp to a platter and serve them slightly warm or room temperature with mayo and breadcrumbs.

Tip: You can make the breadcrumbs and mayo up to 1 day ahead of time. Just store each separately in airtight containers, refrigerating the mayo.