Fried Shrimp

Fried Shrimp Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup hot sauce
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails left on
• Peanut oil, for frying

Preparations:

Preheat oil to 375 degrees F.

Line a baking tray with paper towels and set aside. In a shallow baking dish, whisk together milk, buttermilk and hot sauce. In a separate shallow baking dish, whisk together flour, cornmeal, pepper and salt. Make sure your shrimp are dry and dredge in the dry mixture first, then wet mixture and finally the dry mixture again. Shake off excess between each dredging.

Deep-fry in batches, but do not overload the fryer. Fry for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the paper towel lined baking tray. Serve warm.

Fried Ravioli

Fried Ravioli Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/2 (25 ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli, thawed
• 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

Preparations:

1. Combine milk and egg in a small bowl. Place breadcrumbs and if desired, salt in a shallow bowl. Dip ravioli in milk mixture, and coat with breadcrumbs.
2. In a large saucepan, heat marinara sauce over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce the heat to simmer.
3. In a large heavy pan, pour oil to depth of 2 inches. Heat oil over medium heat until a small amount of breading sizzles and turns brown. Fry ravioli, a few at a time, 1 minute on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately with hot marinara sauce.

Crispy Pata

Crispy Pata Ingredients:

1 Pata (front or hind leg of a pig including the knuckles)
1 bottle of soda (7Up or sprite)
1 tablespoon of salt
2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG)
4 tablespoons of flour
Enough oil for deep frying
Enough water for boiling

Preparations:

Clean the pork pata by removing all hairs and by scraping the skin with a knife. Wash thoroughly.
Make four to five inch cuts on the sides of the pata.
On a deep stock pot, place the pata in water with soda and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the baking soda and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
Remove the pata from the pot and hang and allow to drip dry for 24 hours. An alternative to this is to thoroughly drain the pork pata and refrigerate for a few hours.
After the above process, rub patis on the pata and sprinkle flour liberally.
In a deep frying pot, heat cooking oil and deep fry the pork pata until golden brown.
Crispy Pata Dip Sauce:

Mix 3/4 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 head of diced onion and 1 hot pepper. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fried Chicken

It's bits and pieces of hints I had heard over the years. I have had many compliments on this chicken. Most of this recipe is dependant on your own taste. It's more a matter of preparation and cooking method!







Fried Chicken Ingredients:

1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour for coating
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

Preparations:

Take your cut up chicken pieces and skin them if you prefer. Put the flour in a large plastic bag (let the amount of chicken you are cooking dictate the amount of flour you use). Season the flour with paprika, salt and pepper to taste (paprika helps to brown the chicken).
Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk then, a few at a time, put them in the bag with the flour, seal the bag and shake to coat well. Place the coated chicken on a cookie sheet or tray, and cover with a clean dish towel or waxed paper. LET SIT UNTIL THE FLOUR IS OF A PASTE-LIKE CONSISTENCY. THIS IS CRUCIAL!
Fill a large skillet (cast iron is best) about 1/3 to 1/2 full with vegetable oil. Heat until VERY hot. Put in as many chicken pieces as the skillet can hold. Brown the chicken in HOT oil on both sides. When browned, reduce heat and cover skillet; let cook for 30 minutes (the chicken will be cooked through but not crispy). Remove cover, raise heat again and continue to fry until crispy.
Drain the fried chicken on paper towels. Depending on how much chicken you have, you may have to fry in a few shifts. Keep the finished chicken in a slightly warm oven while preparing the rest.

Lumpia Shanghai

Lumpia Shanghai type is a type of egg roll, except it’s mainly filled with meat. You could use pork or beef or both! It’s a yummy recipe and great to serve as finger food.






Lumpia Shanghai Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons salt
1 (16 ounce) package spring roll wrappers
1 1/2 quarts oil for frying

Preparations:
In a Large bowl, combine ground pork, ground beef, onion, and carrot. Make sure to completely mix everything. I suggest getting down and dirty and use your hands. Knead the meat in the bowl if you must.
Gradually blend in the soy sauce , black pepper, garlic powder, and salt until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
Lay out a few wrappers at a time on a flat surface, and place about 2 tablespoons of the filling in a line down the center of the wrapper. Make sure the filling is no thicker than your thumb, or the wrapper will cook faster than the meat.
Take the bottom and top edges of the wrapper and fold them towards the center. Take the left and right sides, and fold them towards the center. Moisten the last edge of the wrapper to seal. Now repeat using the rest of the wrappers, and have hubby or the kids help you out.
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or heavy skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry 3 or 4 lumpia at a time. Fry for about 3 or 4 minutes, turning once. Lumpia are cooked through when they float, and the wrapper is golden brown.
Cut in half, or serve as is with dipping sauce. We like sweet and sour sauce, soy sauce with lemon, or banana ketchup.