Recipe:👩🏻🍳+🦐+🌽+🍰=😋
I was visiting my sister and her “sig-other” last week. I was trying to think of something different to make for dinner. When I visit and we decide to stay in, I really like to cook in their gorgeous kitchen! Plus, they live right near one of the greatest fish market I’ve ever been to. So seafood is usually our first choice. I didn’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen, because I was intent on doing some serious 🍷 wine drinking simultaneously. The perfect light, but special weeknight dinner, Shrimp and Corn Cakes with Clams on Sauteed Spinach with a Lemon Garlic Aioli. Believe me, it’s easier than it sounds.
Something’s (Shell) Fishy! Shrimp and Corn Cakes!
This recipe is a twist on a 🦀 crab cake. A light and tasty 🦐 Shrimp and Corn Cakes with Lemon Garlic Aioli 🍋. To jazz things up a bit, I added some little neck clams (‘cuz, they soooo delicious!😋) and served it all over a plate of sauteed baby spinach with garlic.
I am a fan of cakes…..crab cakes, salmon cakes, chocolate 🍰 cakes, etc. Why not try a cake filled with two things that work so well together? A combination of sweet, end-of-summer, fresh corn 🌽 and sweet, fresh shrimp 🦐. Here’s how I made it!
Fresh Stuff Is The Best Stuff for Shrimp and Corn Cakes
Dice a small red bell pepper and finely chop a whole bunch of scallions.
Mince 3 cloves of garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a medium saute pan and heat the oil. Next, add diced bell pepper, onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, just until the vegetables are soft and the onion is almost about to start to brown. Add 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning and 2 teaspoons dried dill, mix to combine. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly.
Fresh Corn or Frozen Corn
Meanwhile, heat a grill pan on medium high heat. Lightly oil two fresh ears of corn and add a pinch of salt. Grill until the corn has charred slightly on all sides.
Remove from heat. (You can substitute 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn kernels if you wish to skip this step.). Once the grilled corn has cooled, remove the kernels from the cobs, discard the cobs.
Let The Food Processor Do The Work!
Into the bowl of the food processor, add 1 pound of cleaned shrimp. Pulse the shrimp a few times so that it is fully rendered to a paste like consistency.
Next, add the juice and zest of 1 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of fresh black pepper. Add the cooled sautéed vegetables and the grilled (or frozen) corn and pulse everything a few times, just to combine. Add 1 whole egg plus the white from the aioli recipe (see below). Next, add either 2 tablespoons of the aioli or 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and mix again. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized bowl.
Put the Panko breadcrumbs onto a pie plate. Shape the shrimp cakes into balls Using about 1/3 cup of the mixture each, then flatten slightly. Coat each side in the Panko crumbs. Set onto a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.
Bake or Air Fry
If you have a air fryer, place these onto the fryer basket. Lightly coat the cakes with olive oil spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400° until golden brown on top. Turn and bake the other side another 10-15 minutes, until golden. If you are cooking in the air fryer, you will cook for about 25 minutes.
Lemon Garlic Aioli
Mince 2 cloves of garlic into a paste. First mince the garlic, then add a pinch of salt on top of the minced garlic. Using a heavy knife, press down on top of the garlic and salt, which will help the salt to break the garlic into a paste. Continue until it’s a fairly smooth consistency. Into a small bowl, add 1 large egg yolk (*keep the white for the shrimp and corn cakes). Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, then add 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard and whisk together.
Continue whisking as you very slowly add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. If the sauce breaks, stop adding the oil and continue to whisk until it comes together, then resume adding the oil. Add the minced garlic paste, and mix well. Chill, covered until it’s time to serve the shrimp and corn cakes.
For The Spinach and the Little Neck Clams
Into a large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Heat on medium flame, then add the spinach. Clean little neck clams, discard any that are already opened.
Top the spinach with 1 lb of cleaned little neck clams then close the lid. Let the vegetables and the clams steam together, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
All Together Now!
To plate, add the spinach, then to the side, add 1-2 of the shrimp corn cakes. Place the steamed clams on top of the spinach, and add a spoonful of the aioli to the side of the cakes. Serve with the bowl of sauce for extra helpings!
Enjoy!
Shrimp and Corn Cakes with Lemon Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
For the Shrimp and Corn Cakes
- 1 lb shrimp, cleaned and deveined, tails removed
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ears of corn or substitute 1 1/2 cups frozen baby corn
- 1 bunch spring onions
- 2 teaspoons dill, dried
- 1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg plus 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoons Aioli or 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
For the Aioli
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 large egg yolk
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- salt/pepper to taste
For the Spinach/Clams
- 1 lb little neck claims, washed (optional)
- 10 ounces fresh baby spinach, washed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Shrimp and Corn Cakes
- Dice a small red bell pepper and finely chop a whole bunch of scallions. Mince 3 cloves of garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a medium saute pan and heat the oil. Add the diced bell pepper, onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, just until the vegetables are soft and the onion is almost about to start to brown. Add 1 tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning and 2 teaspoons of dried dill, mix to combine. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, heat a grill pan on medium high heat. Lightly oil two fresh ears of corn and add a pinch of salt. Grill until the corn has charred slightly on all sides. Remove from heat. (You can substitute 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn kernels if you wish to skip this step.). Once the grilled corn has cooled, remove the kernels from the cobs, discard the cobs.
- Into the bowl of the food processor, add 1 pound of cleaned shrimp. Pulse the shrimp a few times so that it is fully rendered to a paste. Next, add the juice and zest of 1 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of fresh black pepper. Add the cooled sautéed vegetables and the grilled (or frozen) corn and pulse everything a few times, just to combine. Add 1 egg plus the egg white from the aioli recipe (see below) and mix well. Pour the mixture into a medium sized bowl.
- Put the Panko breadcrumbs onto a pie plate. Shape the shrimp cakes into balls, using about 1/3 cup of the mixture each, then flatten slightly. Coat each side in the Panko crumbs. Set onto a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.
- If you have a air fryer, place these onto the fryer basket. Lightly coat the cakes with olive oil spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400° until golden brown on top. Turn and bake the other side another 10 minutes, until golden. If you are cooking in the air fryer, you will cook for about 25 minutes.
For the Lemon Garlic Aioli
- Mince 2 cloves of garlic into a paste. First mince the garlic, then add a pinch of salt on top of the minced garlic. Using a heavy knife, press down on top of the garlic and salt, which will help the salt to break the garlic into a paste. Continue until it's a fairly smooth consistency. Into a small bowl, add 1 large egg yolk (*keep the white for the shrimp and corn cakes). Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, then add 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard and whisk together.
- Continue whisking as you very slowly add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. If the sauce breaks, stop adding the oil and continue to whisk until it comes together, then resume adding the oil. Add the minced garlic paste, and mix well. Chill, covered until it's time to serve the shrimp and corn cakes.
For The Spinach and the Little Neck Clams
- Into a large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Heat on medium flame, then add the spinach. Clean little neck clams, discard any that are already opened. Top the spinach with 1 lb of cleaned little neck clams then close the lid. Let the vegetables and the clams steam together, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
To Plate:
- To plate, add the spinach, then to the side, add 1-2 of the shrimp corn cakes. Place the steamed clams on top of the spinach, and add a spoonful of the aioli to the side of the cakes. Serve with the bowl of sauce for extra helpings! Enjoy!
