Dec 2, 2007

Captains Shrimp Delight

When I asked a  fried-chicken chain restaurant owner  for a
 favorite recipe for a cookbook I was compiling, this  one is what he  hand-wrote.    Shrimp?   I was expecting a chicken recipe.   Using  unusual  ingredients--- bottled salad dressings, baking powder, bacon and chili powder-----it was intriguing enough that I  felt compelled to do a little quality  test that very day.    Not only is it good, but   it's an easy   last-minute dish....as long as I keep a bag of shrimp in the freezer, I can put it together in a jif.  I  usually make a half-recipe.

Have your rice  cooked  before you start, this only takes a few minutes to prepare.   Fry 4 bacon strips til crisp, remove and crumble.   Saute  2 lb. large peeled  raw shrimp in the bacon fat for about 4 minutes, until they begin to turn pink.  If making a full recipe,  you will  have to do this in  2 or 3 batches before putting them all together in the pan. Don't try to crowd them all in at one time.   Then mix together 1 cup French salad dressing and 3/4 c Thousand Island dressing together with 1 tsp chili powder.   Add to the shrimp  and stir in 1 tsp baking powder (powder, not soda!). Stir over low heat until  the  sauce  thickens - less than 5 minutes ought to do it.   Stir in the bacon, and a little color with  a pinch of chopped parsley.   Serve with or over rice, if you like. I use yellow rice, Mahatma and Vigo brands are both delicious.