This week for Hive top chef we have deep fried as the theme.
I try not to eat too many deep fried foods however I have wanted to make these items for a while. This gives me the inspiration to do so. I no longer eat animal products or seafood. I have to admit, I used to love seafood so much that it was the last thing I gave up.
My partner and I had stopped eating meat for years already but couldn't give up the seafood. I had a special fondness for shrimp then discovered calamari. A special memory of shrimp was when I discovered coconut shrimp in a resto bar when I was younger. It was Toronto. A place called the Whistling Oyster. My friend and I took a trip there from our home town an hour away. We ordered appetizers and coconut shrimp was one of them. I loved every moment of it. since then I've only had it when I've made it.
Today I made plantbased versions of Calamari and shrimp. I happened to buy my first bag of vegan shrimp the other day so I made a plant based version of the coconut shrimp. I also got king oyster mushrooms to make a plant based calamari. If you have a seafood allergy this is a good substitute.
We'll start with the vegan shrimp.
What you need is a wet flour mix, some flour and coconut flakes.
I mixed around 1 cup of all purpose with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, parsley and salt. Add what you like for the seasonings.
Dip the vegan shrimp in flour and coat thoroughly. Dip in the wet mix.
When adding water to the wet mix, make sure it's thick but not too thick. Make it like a pancake batter.
Coat it in coconut flakes.
Put them in the freezer while you make the calamari.
I find that oyster mushrooms are perfect for a mock calamari. In fact I like it for the fact that it is not fishy.
Cut them into pieces that are around quarter inch thick.
I used a metal bottle cap to cut holes in the center to make rings which is how calamari looks when it's sliced. It's not as gelatinous. I'm okay with that.
The process was basically the same as the vegan shrimp except that I didn't finish off with coconut.
I was certain I had breadcrumbs but I was wrong. Oops! No worries, I had a box of rice crackers. So I put them in the blender and used them instead. It gave a good crunch and flavor anyway.
After they were coated I put them aside and heated up the oil in my small pot. If you use a large pot you need more oil. It has to be nice and hot. I first put it on high heat. If I had a thermometer it would have been easier. Just test one piece to see if it sizzles and gets brown. Then it's ready. If you put several pieces in the oil, the oil will cool down so adjust the temperature as you go.
I am not often deep frying at home, so I was a little more careful to make sure that there weren't too many pieces in the oil. I didn't want it to spill over.
For the dipping sauces I made a sweet chili sauce by boiling water, sugar, garlic, chili garlic sauce, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, ginger, and dried kelp to add to substitute a fish sauce. Not very effective but adds a little something. I added cornstarch at the end and strained. You could just use a store bought one as well.
I also made a vegan ranch dip with cashew cream, made from soaked cashews, lemon juice, cider vinegar, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt and enough water or plant milk to make it creamy. I added green onions, black pepper, thyme, and a dash of agave.
This was the perfect substitute for these foods that I used to love.
I am certain that if this were served to someone that is not vegan, they would not oppose. In fact they may not realize at first.
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