# Shrimp Canape Appy



## Jeekinz (May 10, 2008)

Shrimp Canapes

Shrimp - Peeled/devained small shrimp, sauteed in oil, soy sauce, black pepper and a dash of Tabasco.  You can pretty much flavor them how you want, just make sure they have some 'pop'.

Sauce - Equal parts yogurt and sour cream, fresh minced tarragon (again, use any herb you like), little salt and pepper.  Combine in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Misc Items - Endive, minced chive, diced avocado, capers.

To plate - Place a teaspoon of the sauce toward the root end of the endive leaf, place a pice of avocado then 2-3 capers.  Carefully place one of the shrimp on top. A tiny dab of Tabasco on each one wouldn't hurt either. Garnish with minced chive.

The shrimp and the yogurt/sour cream combination provide a blank canvas for whatever flavors you like.

Bon Appetite 

(I found a use for those chive blossoms)


----------



## kadesma (May 10, 2008)

Wow, this looks fantastic..Your presentation is simple and beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
kadesma


----------



## MexicoKaren (May 10, 2008)

Mouth-watering presentation! I could reach right into the computer screen and grab one!


----------



## Jeekinz (May 12, 2008)

Thanks for the compliments.  I made another batch without the shrimp.  I used minced spicy basil and capers in the yogurt/cream mixture.  A dolop on each endive leaf, topped with avocado, black pepper and a dash of Tabasco.  I need some other flavors to balance out the bitter bite from the endive.  Any ideas?


----------



## GotGarlic (May 12, 2008)

Those look great. Maybe try some honey added to the yogurt/cream mixture?


----------



## kadesma (May 12, 2008)

We enjoy the endive with a small dollop of crab and chopped apple mixed with just enough mayo to hold it together,or you could try some gorgonzola,sour cream and toasted almonds.Mix some blue cheese,sour cream and some diced pear ..Hope this helps.
kadesma.


----------



## Calya (May 12, 2008)

That looks wonderful. I am sure it was quite delicious too.


----------



## *amy* (May 13, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> ...I need some other flavors to balance out the bitter bite from the endive. Any ideas?


 
Looks yummy, Jeeks. 

How about going Asian - filling the leaves with slices of roast duck in hoison & topping with a scallion/green onion brush.

Use a filling similar to P.F. Chang's Lettuce wraps - minced chicken (or pork?), ginger, shiitakes, water chestnuts, etc. (There are a few copy cat recipes on the web.)

Smoked salmon, cream cheese & dill or
Smoked Salmon Stuffed Belgian Endive Boats

Blue cheese, prosciutto, walnuts, and basil. Drizzle with balsamic.

Egg salad w a dab of caviar.

Combine Pico de gallo with guacamole or diced avacado & a few squirts of lemon or lime juice.

Ceviche.


----------



## ironchef (May 13, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Thanks for the compliments. I made another batch without the shrimp. I used minced spicy basil and capers in the yogurt/cream mixture. A dolop on each endive leaf, topped with avocado, black pepper and a dash of Tabasco. I need some other flavors to balance out the bitter bite from the endive. Any ideas?


 
I would probably stay away from the endive and use a small lettuce like Little Gem or baby Butter (Bibb) Lettuce. Bitter endive is strong, you can't really balance it without changing the other flavors of the dish, so the best thing to do is to eliminate the endive and replace it with another component that would compliment the other flavors better.


----------



## Jeekinz (May 13, 2008)

Amy, great ideas! I actually have some smokes salmon in the fridge. I'm going to try that this weekend but without the cream cheese.

IC, there's always a way! I just have to figure it out.


----------



## kitchenelf (May 13, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> IC, there's always a way! I just have to figure it out.



IC usually is spot on.

Jeekinz - GREAT presentation and as far as the chive blossoms I pop them off and add them to salads.  I also use them in small flower arrangements - I will cut some pansies, basil, rosemary, snapdragons, chive blossoms, etc., and make little arrangements.  Well, at least when I had sunlight at our other house - all I have now is moss - it's hard to put moss in a vase


----------



## pdswife (May 13, 2008)

Very pretty!  Wish we could all taste a bite!


----------



## *amy* (May 13, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Amy, great ideas! I actually have some smokes salmon in the fridge. I'm going to try that this weekend but without the cream cheese.
> 
> IC, there's always a way! I just have to figure it out.


 
I'm leaning toward the smoked salmon as well. You could try a horseradish sauce with lemon juice & dijon. Or, fill the leaves with salmon mousse. (Wish I had IC's foam machine - salmon foam over endive leaves.) Perhaps incorporate wasabi into the salmon filling. Thought about filling the leaves with caponata & toasted pine nuts - but might be too bitter. Another idea - sticky rice and diced mangos. Lotsa ways to go.


----------



## Jeekinz (May 13, 2008)

*amy* said:


> I'm leaning toward the smoked salmon as well. You could try a horseradish sauce with lemon juice & dijon.


 
Hmmmm...maybe since I'm the only one buying endive from my store they can get some fresh ones in?  

I'll be all endive'd out if you keep giving me stuff to put on them - LOL. xD


----------



## *amy* (May 13, 2008)

Get jiggy with it, Jeeks.


----------



## PanchoHambre (May 13, 2008)

Those are lovely jeeks I like the bitterness of endive myself.... the shrimp on the end makes a great composition.... nice photos too.... you could totally be the last chef on the island whith that


----------



## Jeekinz (May 13, 2008)

Thanks.

I think a cleaner tasting shrimp would go better. I think the soy flavor was a tad heavy. It was kind of early in the day, _so I couldn't get real creative. _If you catch my drift. 

Anyway, the shrimpless ones with the Tabasco were nice.  I liked the flavor of the tabasco but not the leftover heat from it in your mouth.  

Can't wait to try out some other ideas.


----------



## ironchef (May 14, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I think a cleaner tasting shrimp would go better. I think the soy flavor was a tad heavy. It was kind of early in the day, _so I couldn't get real creative. _If you catch my drift.
> 
> ...


 
Asian flavors and endive don't usually pair well together, so you could stick with the soy but then use something like Bibb lettuce (I seem to remember in another thread that you have some in your garden?) as the canvas. With endive, I would stick to primarily Mediterranean flavors since they have enough acid to balance out the bitterness. So basically, try adding more acid. Adding more sweetness will actually not balance the bitterness in the endive, it will make it more unpleasant.


----------



## TATTRAT (May 14, 2008)

ironchef said:


> Asian flavors and endive don't usually pair well together, so you could stick with the soy but then use something like Bibb lettuce (I seem to remember in another thread that you have some in your garden?) as the canvas. With endive, I would stick to primarily Mediterranean flavors since they have enough acid to balance out the bitterness. So basically, try adding more acid. Adding more sweetness will actually not balance the bitterness in the endive, it will make it more unpleasant.




QFT


I would say a lettuce cup/purse for me, as I agree about endive being bitter...and would make soy taste way more salty/bitter. Or, shy away from the leaf type base and use a lavash crustini, or petite naan round type of thing to play with the yogurt.

Also, I would take the tails off the shrimp so that they are a no muss no fuss item, 1 bite item.


----------



## Jeekinz (May 14, 2008)

ironchef said:


> Asian flavors and endive don't usually pair well together, so you could stick with the soy but then use something like Bibb lettuce (I seem to remember in another thread that you have some in your garden?) as the canvas. With endive, I would stick to primarily Mediterranean flavors since they have enough acid to balance out the bitterness. So basically, try adding more acid. Adding more sweetness will actually not balance the bitterness in the endive, it will make it more unpleasant.


 
Yup...I have a Ton 'O Bibb growing. 

However, I'm really trying to use the endive as the "star".   To be honest, I could care less about the shrimp.  Any ideas for the endive?     I'm going to play around with those Asian flavors on the Bibb.


----------



## Jeekinz (May 14, 2008)

TATTRAT said:


> QFT
> 
> 
> I would say a lettuce cup/purse for me, as I agree about endive being bitter...and would make soy taste way more salty/bitter. Or, shy away from the leaf type base and use a lavash crustini, or petite naan round type of thing to play with the yogurt.
> ...


 
Ha ha. That was actually part of the design. I cooked 6 shrimp with tails and 6 without. I didn't just plop a shrimpy on there without some thought as to 1)presentation and 2)practicality. Yes, tails left on are a little annoying in most cases. But I found it was kind of fun to pick up the endive in one hand, then grab the srimp with my other hand and eat them alternately. 

Edit: The endive almost doubled as an edible dip cup, if you will.


----------



## ironchef (May 14, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> However, I'm really trying to use the endive as the "star". To be honest, I could care less about the shrimp. Any ideas for the endive?


 
Going with the yogurt, I think a tsaziki or raita with cubed and grilled lamb would work, or you could even use chicken. I would recommend making the marinade for the protein fairly spicy with something like red chili flakes or curry, and seasoning it well with salt before cooking. 

Either way, IMO aggressive and well seasoned flavors should work with the endive as long as those flavors are complimentary.


----------



## college_cook (May 15, 2008)

We had to come up with a canape on the fly once, so we shredded some duck confit and placed it in the root end of a Belgian Endive leaf, and dressed it with a little bit of blood orange gastrique and and orange supreme.  Basically the same presentation, though shredded confit is certainly not as pretty as the shrimp.  The sweet/bitter combo from gastrique and endive leaf was nice though, and the sweet also played very well with the salt and richness from the duck.


----------

