Shrimp Tiles With Cucumber Ajaad

Name: Shrimp Tiles With Cucumber Ajaad
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: thai
Ingredients: 1/2 cup rice vinegar; 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar; Pinch of salt; 1 clove garlic, peeled and slightly crushed; 2 red jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeded and very thinly sliced; 3 cups peeled, quartered, seeded and thinly sliced cucumber; Handful cilantro leaves and chopped peanuts; 1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined; 1/2 teaspoon salt; Pinch freshly ground pepper; Canola or vegetable oil; 1/3 small package of frozen Chinese spring-roll skins (about 3 to 4 inches square), defrosted; 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

Recipe from Pim Techamuanvivit

Adapted by Christine Muhlke

Shrimp Tiles With Cucumber Ajaad — Sasha Eisenman for The New York Times

Total Time: 40 minutes, plus refrigeration
Rating: 4(7)
Comments: Read comments

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 6

For the Ajaad

½cup rice vinegar
¼cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of salt
1clove garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
2red jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeded and very thinly sliced
3cups peeled, quartered, seeded and thinly sliced cucumber
Handful cilantro leaves and chopped peanuts

For the Tiles

½pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
½teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground pepper
Canola or vegetable oil
⅓small package of frozen Chinese spring-roll skins (about 3 to 4 inches square), defrosted
1cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

For the Ajaad
1. Step 1
  In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic and jalapeños. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste it; it should be sweet, sour, salty and a little spicy (in that order). Adjust the flavors as needed. Discard the garlic clove and transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl to cool. Once cooled, fold in the cucumber, then cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, garnish with cilantro leaves and chopped peanuts.
For the Tiles
1. Step 2
  Using a food processor, purée the shrimp, salt and pepper. Sauté a small spoonful of the mixture in a bit of oil to check for seasoning; if needed, add more salt and pepper to the raw mixture.
2. Step 3
  Cut the square sheets of spring-roll skins diagonally. In a large wok or skillet, pour in oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, assemble the tiles by spreading a teaspoon of the shrimp mixture evenly over an entire triangle (to the edges). Place a cilantro leaf in the middle, then cover with another triangle, pressing them together firmly to adhere. Repeat until all the filling is used.
3. Step 4
  Test the oil by dropping in a piece of spring-roll wrapper. It should immediately puff up. Adjust heat as necessary and fry the tiles, a few at a time, until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Place the tiles on a serving platter, and top each with a bit of ajaad. Serve.