Crispy Pork & Peanut Baskets
Are you looking for some delicious appetizers to serve on New Year’s Eve? Here are a couple I made last week (for the first time) to bring to a friend’s home when she invited us for dinner. Karen told me she was serving Thai chicken thighs with a curry stuffing and so, I searched for appetizer recipes that would compliment her meal.
Crispy Pork & Peanut Baskets
Recipe from the Thai Cookshelf cookbook, by Christsine France, published in 1999 by Paragon Publishing
(I saved time and simplified the recipe by using premade mini fillo shells. This eliminated the first two steps below.)
2 sheets phyllo pastry, each about 16 1/2x 11 inches
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4 ½ oz ground pork
1 teaspoon red Thai curry paste
2 green onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons crunchy peanut better
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt
Pepper
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Cut each sheet of phyllo pastry into twenty-four 4-inch squares, to make a total for 48 squares. Brushing each square lightly with oil, arrange the squares in stacks of 4, in 12 small muffin pans points outward. Press the pastry down into the pans.
2. Bake the pasty cases for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the garlic; fry for 30 seconds, the stir in the pork and stir-fry over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until it is golden brown.
4. Add the curry paste and green onions; stir-fry for 1 minute longer, then stir in the peanut butter, soy sauce and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the pork mixture into the phyllo baskets.
12 appetizers
If you follow the recipe and make your own baskets, they will look like this.
Thai-Spiced Cocktail Shrimp
Thai-Spiced Cocktail Shrimp
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Start to Finish: 4 Hours 35 Minutes
1 1/2 lb uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp (about 50)
2 medium green onions, chopped (2 tablespoons)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1. In large glass or plastic bowl, mix all ingredients except oil. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
2. Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Arrange shrimp in single layer in pan. Bake uncovered 10 to 12 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Drizzle with oil. Serve hot.
10 servings (5 shrimp each)