Rev: Crunchy Shrimp with toasted Couscous and Ginger orange sauce

[bijoux22]

After seeing the recipe in the Jan/Feb issue it sounded so good that I decided to give it a try. I faxed a copy to my cooking buddy also. We both gave it a big thumbs up but thought that it was a bit too much work for a Wednesday night meal. Neither of us has the watercress and we did not use any substitutions. I backed down a bit on the cayenne in the sauce and felt that it was still quite spicy, and I do like it hot. My buddy used the full 1/4 tsp and felt that the amound was fine. (I used Penzeys cayenne and I do think it is hotter than the rest!). My husband is not a big fan of fruit flavors with his dinner but really like this dish and gave it the "lets have this again nod".

[Kismet]

Thanks for the review! This one is on my "to try" list from this issue - it sounds like I might want to save it for a weekend, though.

[bbenedict]

This looked SO good, except I don't like shrimp. I was thinking of using chicken tenders in place of the shrimp. Do you think it would work?

Bonnie

[bijoux22]

Bonnie, I think that it would work with chicken also, the chicken breast tenders or the smaller strips would be close to the shrimp in size and cooking time.

Cheryl

[MaryH]

Ooh, I love shrimp (of course all I have right now is bay scallops, but that'll work.)

[Gail K.]

I made this last night. The shrimp was delicious. Yes, it took a bit of time; however, the part of the recipe that took the most effort was the couscous and truthfully, that could be streamlined. I would definitely make the shrimp this way again and just make a basic couscous with a drizzle of olive oil, perhaps a bit of toasted slivered almonds and pepper. It would actually end up being a quick weekday meal this way.

[Peggy]

I didn't even notice this recipe on the list! Thanks for pointing this one out.

Peggy

[MaryH]

I made this for lunch and thought it was excellent. After I boiled the orange juice I put it in the freezer to cool faster. My subs: bay scallops for shrimp, quinoa for coucous (just cook for 15 minutes instead of five) and yellow onion for green. I omitted the cilantro. My sauce seemed to separate a little when I added the mayo but that may have been because the juice was not completely cooled. Also, did anyone have issues with the panko adhering to the shrimp? I tossed the scallops as instructed, but when I went to fry them, the breading sort of clumped together by itself. (It was all still very edible). I'm wondering if it was just the texture of the scallops v. shrimp.

[bbenedict]

Bonnie, I think that it would work with chicken also, the chicken breast tenders or the smaller strips would be close to the shrimp in size and cooking time.

Cheryl

That's what I was thinking. I'll give it a go sometime soon and report back on how it turns out. Thanks!

Bonnie

[fancyn]

One word .... DELISH!!!!! The shrimp was perfect, no tinkering needed. Nice and crunchy, and exploding with flavor. I thought the couscous was good, but not necessary. DS is too young for shell fish, so I prepared a talapia fillet like I did with the shrimp. Devoured in minutes!!

[mcraig13]

Made this tonight...Saturday...so there was time. DH hates cilantro so I considered leaving it out...but I love it and I'm the cook. He didn't even notice...he did ask if the watercress was cilantro...that's how much he knows..and he expects me to sneak it in. But obviously he doesn't know when I do.

Anyway...we both really liked this. It was a little time-consuming but really not that bad. I will definitely make this again.

[crispywafers]

We also made this a few nights ago. Really enjoyed it. The company we had over loved it as well. We made it with both shrimp and chicken and both were gobbled up (I however prefered the shrimp... my hubby the chicken...). The sauce is fantastic with both!

[blazedog]

I have had trouble in the past pan frying/sauteing "breaded" or "pankoed" foods in a pan with a small amount of oil as there isn't enough oil to cook the coating -- if I am explaining it correctly.

Is there some technique that helps it along -- I wind up having to add more oil to the pan -- not vast quantities but still significantly more than a light recipe specifies.

[crispywafers]

Is there some technique that helps it along -- I wind up having to add more oil to the pan -- not vast quantities but still significantly more than a light recipe specifies.

I am with you blazedog. I did have to add more oil to the pan. Would be interesting to see if someone else has a technique... maybe a light spray of olive oil cooking spray on them?

[blazedog]

I am with you blazedog. I did have to add more oil to the pan. Would be interesting to see if someone else has a technique... maybe a light spray of olive oil cooking spray on them?

I am glad to know that it's just not me With oil being 110 to 120 calories a tablespoon, it does add significantly to the total calories of a light dish.

[bostonbaked]

This was outstanding! I passed by this thread because my DH is not a big couscous fan. However, after reading thru everyones reviews I couldn't resist. Anyway, I actually had 99% of the ingredients on hand ( except for the watercress). I barely made any adjustments. I did cut back slightly on the cayenne pepper and I skipped the watercress as suggested (not necessary). I did try spraying the shrimp with a little Pam and I don't think it helped. Maybe I'll just have to add a little more oil...oh well. I used smaller shrimp(31-40) and they were fine but I did find the panko wanted to fall off. Next time I'll dredge them in a pie plate and hope that they adhere better. This is going on my top 10 list.... right up there with Giada's Balsamic Chicken (thanks again Bob) and Pork Meallallions in Mushroom Marsala Sauce( sorry don't know who to thank but thank you anyway).
Boy can you people cook!!!

[Peggy]

IMHO, this is a "WOW" recipe. We all loved it! I omitted the cilantro and the watercress and didn't miss either. I would say this recipe was close to perfect in taste and presentation. Will definately be repeating this one.

To address the oil issue, unlike others, I had plenty of oil to cook the shrimp with. I made sure my pan was good and hot before adding them and they cooked beautifully - no problems.

Peggy

[RD chef]

Chiming in with another thumbs up. We made this last weekend and DBF gave this a solid 10! I did add a little more dry panko to the shrimp as they were sauteeing, as I didn't think the ziploc bag worked that well. Next time I would just lay them in plate of panko. There will definately be a next time! Great flavor!

[tmsl]

I have made this twice already at DH's request. We both loved it and it will become a regular at our house. I did not toast the couscous, just made it without that step. We substituted spinach for the watercress and layered it like a salad. Very, Very tasty.

Laura

[Mindy]

I made this last night and it will be repeated for sure!! I was able to make it pretty quickly. I made the sauce the day before, I prepped the shrimp earlier in the day, and I omitted toasting the couscous and just threw the ingredients in a bowl and cooked it in the microwave. I did not follow the liquid ingredients, it called for a total of 2 cups of liquid for 1 cup of couscous...my couscous says 1 cup of liquid per 1 cup couscous, that is what I did.

[LLR]

I thought this recipe was great, a "WOW" like someone else posted, I followed the recipe as is, made the sauce earlier, prepped the shrimp earlier and followed the recipe in stages as I went, the breading on the shrimp worked out just fine for me, I followed another suggestion and breaded in a deep dish instead of the ziplock, this tasted great!

[charliecat]

I have looked all over for my J/F issue and can't find it anywhere. Could someone please post this recipe, I would love to have it for dinner tonight.

TIA
Anne

[noviceck]

I reviewed this on a seperate thread. This dish was made by one of my supper club memver last night. I thought the dish was outstanding. She did say that she had a little trouble finding the watercress & almost burned the slivered almonds but other than that the dish came out w/o a hitch. I can't wait to make for myself.

[noviceck]

I have looked all over for my J/F issue and can't find it anywhere. Could someone please post this recipe, I would love to have it for dinner tonight.

TIA
Anne

Here's the recipe:

Sauce:
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Couscous:
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Shrimp:
20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 3/4 pound)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups trimmed watercress

To prepare sauce, bring 1 cup orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); set aside.
To prepare couscous, place couscous in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; add onions, almonds, and butter, stirring until butter melts. Keep warm.

To prepare shrimp, combine shrimp and egg white in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Combine the panko, 1 teaspoon cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and black pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to the bag, and seal and shake to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange shrimp in a single layer in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.

Place 3/4 cup couscous on each of 4 plates; top each with 1/2 cup watercress and 5 shrimp. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce.



Yield: 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 376(25% from fat); FAT 10.6g (sat 2.7g,mono 4.1g,poly 2g); PROTEIN 17.6g; CHOLESTEROL 61mg; CALCIUM 84mg; SODIUM 763mg; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 51.9g

[charliecat]

Thanks noviceck! You made my day!

[joybuzz]

Finally made this dish tonight and it was an OMG! Took some time to prepare and the panko shrimp was hard to get off the pan but it was delicious and a repeat for sure

[Sarah428]

No watercress and had to drive 35 minutes to get some Panko but it was worth it...yummy!

[Chocolate Rose]

I made tihis but substituted chicken for the shrimp and it was awesome! I cut up chicken breasts into shrimp-sized pieces. YUM! I didn't have any trouble at all with the panko covered chicken sticking to the pan. Dh said that he definitely wants this one again. Hopefully I can plan ahead and get some shrimp to give the original version a try. Also, dd had decided that she dislikes couscous but really liked it cooked this way. I used organic whole wheat couscous.

I'm wondering if it's possible to use frozen OJ concentrate for the cooked down OJ. What do you think? Does boiling the juice and cooking it down differ from the concentrate? I was just thinking that it would save some time with the boiling/cooling step.

[Terrytx]

Not to beat a dead horse-but wow this was good. I wish I had heeded yall's advise and used a pan to bread the shrimp, cause I also had problems with the panko falling off, but no one complained.

[Leebot]

I made this last night and I also experienced problems getting the panko to adhere. Nevertheless, the flavors were wonderful and I think this is worth some tinkering until I get it right. (I also used an Israeli couscous mix with other grains from Indianharvest.com, which was quite different than the typical couscous I buy in the local supermarket; it really enhanced the dish.)

One thing that I was curious about -- given the number of reviewers on this thread who either had some problems or had to make their own modifications with this prize-winning contest entry -- is how the entries are evaluated. If the contestant always makes their own dish and has nailed the technique, then obviously that's a plus . . but if the recipes also have to be duplicated by other testers and like us, have mixed results, what then? I wonder if the recipes are also evaluated on how readily the finished product can be duplicated by others?