Cake for dinner… every child’s dream! As adults, though, we find this particular kind of cake is our dream dinner. Savory, irresistible shrimp cakes with a gingery-lime mayonnaise and salad. With a little advanced prep, they come together very quickly and, before you know it, a wonderful light summer supper is on the table.
This particular evening, we shared the meal virtually with friends across the country. Through the magic of Zoom, we cooked and ate dinner with Towny and Susan in Portsmouth (New Hampshire), with Emily and Matt in Asheville (North Carolina), and Aida and Hannah in Chicago (Illinois). I sent everyone the recipe, equipment needs, and how to prepare the mise-en-place to help with meal prep flow.
We coordinated across time zones to start at the appointed hour and, as we put dinner together, we sipped wine, caught up with everybody, exchanged stories and laughter. It was great to have some face-to-face interaction, even if on a screen. We even enjoyed Aida’s visit to her salad garden to pick greens as we prepared to plate the meal.
After a five-minute break to move to our respective tables, we rejoined one another for dinner and more talk. While maybe a tad awkward to hold conversations virtually, we still continued to share fun stories, commiserate with Emily and Matt about their non-wedding wedding, and to hear what everyone else was up to in their part of the world. We definitely missed the hello and goodbye hugs, but we still got to look into everyone’s eyes, smile without a mask, and remember that—no matter the distance—we are connected every day.
As a gift, Susan and Towny sent each of us a bottle of 2019 Château Barbebelle Cuvée Madeleine Rosé for us to pour and sip in unison. I wrote about it for the Provence WineZine; you can read more about it there. Sharing the same wine was one more way to share in a fuller experience.
~ David
Shrimp Cakes with Ginger-Lime Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- zest of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped ginger, squeezed dry
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/4 cup finely diced carrot
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 cup finely chopped shiitake mushroom caps, (about 4-6 mushrooms)
- 1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped by hand
- 1/2 pound skinless halibut, cod, or sole fillet, coarsely chopped
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- chives for garnish
- salad greens, for serving
Instructions
- Process egg, lime zest, lime juice, mustard, ginger, soy, sugar and 3 tablespoons canola oil for a few seconds in the food processor. With motor running, slowly add – in a constant 1/8-inch-thick stream – the remaining cup of canola oil until it is all used up and mayonnaise consistency is reached. Transfer to a serving bowl and keep refrigerated. (The addition of ginger and soy sauce make this mayonnaise a bit thinner than usual.) Clean the bowl and blade of the processor.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, cook carrot, onion, and mushrooms in 1/2 cup water, uncovered, stirring frequently, until carrot and onion are softened, about 4 minutes (the liquid will have evaporated and the vegetables will begin to brown). Cool slightly. Combine shrimp, fish, vegetable mixture, yolks, sea salt, soy sauce, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times till mixture forms a chunky paste. Scrape into a bowl and chill, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Heat the 4 tablespoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderate heat until shimmering. While oil is heating, form shrimp mixture into eight 1/2-inch thick patties. I used a ring mold (3.5 inches) and filled it halfway. Fry cakes until light golden, about 2 minutes on each side, then transfer with a spatula to paper towels to drain. Serve on a bed of greens — I prefer a peppery variety such as arugula or mizuna — with a dollop of the mayonnaise; garnish with chives, and pass remaining mayonnaise on the side.
- Makes 8 shrimp cakes, serving 4.
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Fran @ G'day Souffle'
July 4, 2020 at 7:46 amWhat a combo! I love the idea of the flavored mayonnaise. Isn’t Zoom great? I’ve been teaching a Croissants class through Zoom, using two cameras placed over the stove and counter top. Happy Fourth of July!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 5, 2020 at 1:11 pmI’ve been teaching some cooking classes to students on zoom, too, Fran. It’s quite fun! I’m impressed that you are doing croissants — that is a LONG zoom class!
Gerlinde
July 4, 2020 at 8:30 amI love this recipe and have to give it a try once I can use my kitchen again. Happy Fourth of July David.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 5, 2020 at 1:11 pmYou must miss your kitchen, Gerlinde!
John / Kitchen Riffs
July 4, 2020 at 11:21 amSuch a delightful story! How fun to have a virtual dinner like that. Sounds most enjoyable. And this recipe sounds enjoyable, too. Much as I like crab cakes, I think shrimp (and in this case, fish) cakes work much better, at least for me. You can also play with the flavors much more — which is a lot of the fun of cooking. Really nice — thanks.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 5, 2020 at 1:13 pmThanks, John — I like them all! Fish, shrimp, scallops, and crab cakes — and combinations of them.
sippitysup
July 4, 2020 at 4:19 pmThis is the best ZOOM idea I’ve seen yet. GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
July 5, 2020 at 1:13 pmIt IS fun, Greg!
Eha
July 4, 2020 at 5:16 pmOn a weekend I thought I would have little honest and real about which to smile you proved me wrong ! An absolutely priceless way for friends to share life . . . especially under the current circumstances ! What fun it inevitably was . . . We are left with the story and a great recipe. Love fish cakes and yours with prawns will be shared with friends . . . it nods to the east and nods to the west and promises so much flavour and will definitely go atop my kitchen list . . . love your plating: we speak the sane language . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
July 5, 2020 at 1:15 pmThanks, Eha — I’m doing everything I can to keep my life going as “normally” as possible. This is a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy the shrimp cakes!
Christina Conte
July 4, 2020 at 11:15 pmI love this zoom dinner idea! The wine connection is above and beyond! How wonderful that was. I’ve never had shrimp cakes, but I know I would enjoy them immensely! Thanks for the uplifting post, David! Loved it!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 5, 2020 at 1:17 pmZoomtails have been so popular, we figured why not dinner/ (Zoomer? Zinner?) I hope you are doing well, Christina.
2pots2cook
July 5, 2020 at 6:28 amBeautiful way to connect and share meals ! As Christina says : so uplifting ! 🙂 Thank you !
Cocoa & Lavender
July 5, 2020 at 1:17 pmThanks, Davorka – it was fun to share it with everyone.
Susan Manfull
July 5, 2020 at 6:58 amI began to forget that we were Zooming as soon as our cooking began and, by the time we sat down for dinner, I had completely forgotten about Zoom. At the risk of sounding too metaphysical, we had risen above Zoom and were “in the moment.” (Okay, maybe the wine helped!) Once the cooking began, we were engaged in the business of creating what we knew would be a wonderful dinner — David had helped us each set our respective stages — and we were too intent on comparing how the cooking was going in each kitchen to notice how it was that we were able to see into each other’s kitchen! Opening, toasting, and tasting the Château Barbebelle Cuvée Madeleine Rosé was the same. Dinner unfolded magically: comments about the simply fabulous shrimp cakes –beautifully plated, with David’s guidance — flowed along with lots of conversation about the wine and how well it paired with the food. Did I make it clear how terrific the shrimp cakes and that mayo are? Cheers!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 5, 2020 at 1:19 pmThanks, Susan! For the lovely comment and for the wine! It was so much fun to spend time with you and Towny, Emily and Matt, and Aida and Hannah.
Chris Durboraw
July 5, 2020 at 7:37 pmDavid, this looks awesome – I definitely want to make the lemon/lime mayo. Could I use just shrimp for the “cakes”? Have some firm white fish , but just wondering! Hmmmm.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 9, 2020 at 7:39 amAs I mentioned in my private message to you, try it with all shrimp — it would probably work fine, although the whitefish helps it stay together a bit. The worst thing that will happen is that it will fall apart a little — but still taste great!
Jeff the Chef
July 6, 2020 at 5:23 amImagine how much more difficult this pandemic would be without video conferencing! I’m glad you were able to have a great time with your friends. The shrimp cakes sound wonderful, but I could imagine a million uses for ginger-lime mayo!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 9, 2020 at 7:40 amNot a drop of that mayo was wasted, Jeff – we used it in all sorts of ways, just as you imagined.
Melissa
July 6, 2020 at 8:02 amI happened to have almost all the needed ingredients in the house so I made these for dinner last night, using maitake mushrooms in place of the shiitakes and safflower oil rather than canola for the mayonnaise. They were terrific, David. Thanks for the recipe!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 9, 2020 at 7:41 amMaitakes are a great substitute — wish they were readily available here! Glad you liked them, Melissa — I love when people make recipes and report back!
Karen (Back Road Journal@comcast.net
July 6, 2020 at 1:47 pmOh how very fun…a terrific way to share a meal with your friends. Now you have shared the meal with not only your friends but with us blogging friends as well. The shrimp cakes sound great, I’ve pinned the recipe.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 9, 2020 at 7:42 amWe are going to need to get used to this way of “entertaining “ for a while, Karen — we might as well make it as fun as possible! Hope you like the shrimp cakes!
sherry
July 6, 2020 at 11:26 pmfabulous idea to zoom for dinner david. we’ve been doing lots of zooming too – chatting not dining. so nice to catch up with people far away. love the look of your prawn cakes!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 9, 2020 at 7:43 amWe do lots of Zoom and FaceTime chats, too… but dinner is a fun way to extend the experience!
Raymund
July 7, 2020 at 1:02 pmI had done some drinks over zoom in various time zone but this one is something I want to try with my friends, such a great idea. And yes why not have cakes for dinner if its as delicious as that Shrimp Cakes, yummy!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 9, 2020 at 7:44 amI think you will really like doing this, Raymund. There is something about sharing a meal that just makes everything taste better!
Ron
July 8, 2020 at 1:37 amWhat fun David and what a smashing menu. And, oh yes, cake for dinner, please. We love crab cakes and fish cakes, so I can’t wait to give this a go.
Now, I have to go learn how to use Zoom so I can attend a virtual dinner party. Thanks for another great post…
Cocoa & Lavender
July 9, 2020 at 7:45 amRon — you really do need to learn Zoom — it’s so easy (even I learned it in 15 minutes! It will be a game changer while we hideout at home!
Liberty Belle
July 8, 2020 at 4:20 pmSeems like a wonderful time with wonderful people and good food.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 9, 2020 at 7:46 amThanks, Ms. Belle! It was really nice….
Priya
July 9, 2020 at 8:05 amTotally love the idea of using mayonnaise here. You know, This cake reminds me of my mom’s sago and potato mini cakes recipe which looks exactly like this 🙂 Zoom is the biggest stress buster these days 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
July 10, 2020 at 8:31 amZoom has been amazing during all this, Priya – it gets us as in-person as possible.
The mayo is a wonderful condiment!
All That I'm Eating
July 10, 2020 at 5:27 amWhat a brilliant idea! Such a fun thing to do on Zoom and I love that you had ‘cake’ for dinner. That mayonnaise sounds divine.
Cocoa & Lavender
July 10, 2020 at 8:32 amThanks, Caroline – it is definitely fun to see people during all this.
Marcelle
July 10, 2020 at 6:40 amDavid, I already love these shrimp cakes. I must make them soon, I know this meal will be a complete hit (at least with us grown-ups!) I’m glad you’ve been having some Zoom fun. I need to up get my crazy family on a group call. It’s been way too long since we’ve all been able to be together and this would indeed be a great way to catch up… without the mask!! I loved all the positivity in this post!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 10, 2020 at 8:33 amThanks, Marcelle – we really need keep a positive attitude through all this stay masked so we can stay negative!
Kelly | Foodtasia
July 10, 2020 at 6:26 pmDavid, I’m so craving these shrimp cakes! Such wonderful flavors and that mayo – fabulous! A great idea to host a virtual dinner party!
Cocoa & Lavender
July 12, 2020 at 5:54 amHomemade mayonnaise is such an amazing complement! And being able to flavor it anyway you want makes it even more so… We loved entertaining via zoom, as it is the best way we can see our friends now.
Valentina
July 11, 2020 at 10:10 pmWhat a fun (and delicious) zoom. We’ve had zoom dinners, but not zoom COOKING dinners. I love the idea! And of course this meal sounds so incredible. The combination of all of those ingredients put together is delectable. 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
July 12, 2020 at 5:55 amThanks, Valentina. The zoom dinners are really helpful right now, but cooking then eating was a lot of fun!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
July 16, 2020 at 6:09 amSuch a lovely idea David! And now I’m thinking of other virtual things I might do–virtual baking with a friend? Your shrimp cakes look lovely. There is a truck that brings up fresh shrimp from Texas every 3-4 weeks that I am patronizing so this may be in our future! Any tips for the hand chopping?
Cocoa & Lavender
July 18, 2020 at 6:54 amInger — to him chop the shrimp, generally I cut them in half lengthwise and then, depending on how big they are, I might cut them in half again lengthwise. Then I ship them 45° and cut them into small dice. If they haven’t been deveined, this is also a great method to get the vein out. Lucky you getting shrimp from Texas! We got ours from the golf of Baja, and they are really lovely!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
July 16, 2020 at 6:10 amchopping of the shrimp I should clarify…
karan sharma
September 10, 2020 at 7:38 amwow its mouth-watering dish thanks to sharing this blog…
David Scott Allen
September 12, 2020 at 9:01 amYou are welcome.