Missing the restaurant dinners with the family? Let’s hold off a bit on that while the threat of Covid-19 is still out there. But if you miss dining out, try recreating your favorite dishes at home. It may take some patience but it will be worth the effort. For this post, I am sharing with you the Chinese-style camaron rellenado recipe.

• Related: Stages of Dealing with the Covid-19 Pandemic

Shrimp Supply in the House

My father in law has developed an allergy to crustaceans so he is avoiding our usual favorites—shrimps and crabs. But that doesn’t stop him from buying these kinds of seafood when a vendor brings some over to our store.

Last month, he has been telling me that he bought shrimps—one kilo after another. Then he keeps talking about the hot shrimp salad that we like at Golden of Fortune Restaurant as well as the shrimps wrapped in meat.

He must really miss dining out in our favorite Chinese restaurants so much so that at two different meal times, I made his two requests.

For now, sharing my camaron rellenado recipe here. This is a rather premium dish because there are no flour extenders. You have probably tried this in restaurants and found that the shrimp tail is only for aesthetic purposes. The ball is made mostly of flour or breading, some pork, and a bit of chopped shrimp. Or probably just shrimp flavoring.

• Related: 3 Reasons Why You Should Enjoy Seafood in New Orleans

But with this one, I used real shrimps wrapped in lean ground pork. This is also quite healthy, with the incorporation of tofu and carrots. Read more.

Chinese-Style Camaron Rellenado Recipe

My Chinese-style camaron rellenado recipe didn’t start out that way. As I was making the meat mixture, I realized that I didn’t have enough to cover all my shrimps. So I took out a medium-sized carrot and a slab of tofu from the chiller to use as extenders. They are healthy and flavorful, too.

• Recipe: Shrimp Etouffee: A Cajun Seafood Recipe

I just want to show you that you can make even better than restaurant-quality food at home with some creativity and the willingness to try.

Ingredients:

• 20 pcs. large shrimps
• Lemon or calamansi juice
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ kilo lean ground pork
• 1 carrot, minced
• A slab of tofu, smashed
• 1 chorizo de bilbao, minced
• 4-5 small Shiitake mushrooms, chopped
• Thumb-sized ginger, grated
• Chives
• Dash of fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Brown sugar, optional
• 2 Tbsps. of corn starch beaten with 2 eggs
• 1 chicken cube, crushed (optional)
• Cooking oil

For the Batter

• Flour seasoned with salt and pepper
• 2-3 beaten eggs, seasoned with salt
• Bread crumbs

Procedure:

1. Clean the shrimps, remove the heads, and devein. Leave the tail intact for aesthetic reasons. Drain.

2. Rinse the shrimps in lemon or calamansi juice with salt. Pour out the juice and drain. Season with salt and pepper and set aside on the strainer.

3. Mix the ground pork, carrots, smashed tofu, minced chorizo, shiitake, and chives. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of fish sauce. You may want to add 1 Tbsp. of brown sugar.

4. Beat the eggs and add the corn starch. If you wish to use the chicken cube, crush it so that it will easily dissolve. Continue beating the eggs to mix everything.

5. Add the eggs into the meat mixture and mix well. Divide the meat to wrap around the shrimps.

Cooking Hack

Use a tray in order to properly divide the meat mixture. Make sure you have enough to cover the number of shrimps.

6. I flattened the meat mixture in my palm and put the shrimp in the middle. You may want to use a piece of wax paper for this purpose to avoid contamination. But I was too busy to notice. Then I closed the meat over the shrimp.

7. After you have rolled all the shrimps, prepare the batter. Get three bowls and place the flour on the first, the beaten egg on the second, and the bread crumbs on the third.

8. Heat the cooking oil in a non-stick pan for shallow frying. Use medium heat to make sure that the shrimp rellenado is cooked through.

9. Roll each shrimp ball into the flour, dip in egg wash, and finally, roll in the bread crumbs. Fry each one for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. If the oil becomes too hot, reduce heat. You want the inside of the meat ball to be cooked through.

10. Place the cooked shrimps on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the oil. Then transfer on your serving platter.

How to Enjoy this Camaron Rellenado Recipe

Enjoy your camaron rellenado with sweet chili sauce or tomato catsup. It is best eaten hot with steamed rice.

You can heat leftovers in the microwave but it is ideal to prepare only what the family can consume. Count how many shrimps each family member can consume to avoid leftovers.

Other Homecooking Recipes

Meanwhile, try these other recipes at home and you will surely impress the family.

• Are you into K-Drama? Make this Korean Beef Stew Recipe: Restaurant-Style Cooking with Beef Camto for the Korean cuisine feels. The whole family will surely love it!
• Do you miss Mongolian Rice Bowls? Then make them at home because it is so easy. Here are some ideas: Easy to Make Mongolian Rice Bowl Recipe at Home
• Many Filipinos young and old love the pork sisig. Make your own version at home with these simple ideas. Read: Easy to Cook Homemade Pork Sisig Recipe
• Don’t wait for a visit to your favorite Japanese restaurant in order to enjoy gyoza. Make your own with this Homemade Gyoza Recipe (Japanese Pot Stickers)
• Another Korean favorite among Filipinos is the japchae. I made my own version using vermicelli noodles and still hit the spot. Check out my Homemade Japchae Recipe for Korean Food Cravings
• For those who like baby back ribs, here’s your chance to impress the whole family. Make Restaurant-Style Spicy Baby Back Ribs at Home