Rice-and-Shrimp Croquettes with Tomato Chili Sauce

By Sean Brock, South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations Chef BJ Dennis has dedicated his life to preserving the Gullah Geechee cuisine of his ancestors. I first made these croquettes with him. You simply drop spoonfuls of the rice batter into hot oil; no need to bread the croquettes as you would in Italian cuisine. Dicing the shrimp into small but not too small pieces is the key to the croquettes. The bits of shrimp cook through as they frey but still retain some of their texture. The tomato chili sauce was inspired by my first trip to West Africa, where I tasted black-eyed pea fritters with a dipping sauce made from a fragrant, flavorful Senegalese tomato paste, a recurring note in that cuisine. This version is based on a tomato jam I've been cooking for years.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Combine the onion, garlic, cayenne and salt in a mortar and crush with the pestle until the mixture becomes a wet paste.

Step 2

Heat the peanut oil in a small saucepan over high heat until it shimmers. Add the onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato jam, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes to develop the flavors.

Step 3

Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a heatproof container and cool to room temperature.

Step 4

Stir the scallion greens and tarragon into the sauce, cover, and refrigerate. (Tightly covered, the sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.)

Step 5

Combine the rice, olive oil, and salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir to coat the rice with the oil. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from the stove and let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.

Step 6

Fluff the rice gently with a fork, then spread it out on a rimmed baking sheet and cool to room temperature. Transfer the rice to a large bowl and set aside.

Step 7

Fill a deep fryer with canola oil according to the manufacturer's directions and heat the oil to 325F. Alternatively, fill a deep heavy pot half full with canola oil and heat the oil over medium heat to 325F. Preheat the oven to 200F. Line one rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and another with paper towels.

Step 8

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are translucent, about 5 minutes. Spread the vegetables out on a plate and cool to room temperature.

Step 9

Add the cooled vegetables, shrimp, salt, Espelette pepper and white pepper to the rice and stir to combine. The mixture will be very tacky to the touch and should hold together when rolled into a ball. Form the croquette mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Step 10

Working in batches and taking care not to overcrowd the fryer, fry the croquettes until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the croquettes to the paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining croquettes.

Step 11

Pile the croquettes on a platter and offer the tomato chili sauce alongside.