Appetizers/ ColdApp

Shrimp and Mango Pintxos

So what’s a pintxo anyway.

I don’t know if I have every told you this story, so if I have just skip over this part. Years ago (1997) when my oldest graduated from University of Texas he moved to Spain for 5 months to learn to speak Spanish a little better. Well while there, one night he called and said he was on his way to a tapas bar. I knew what a tapas was because I had read about them even though I had not gone to a tapas bar yet. Anyway, long story short, I thought he said “topless bar” but then once he started talking about it I knew what he meant.

Many years later when we went to Spain, we ate at nothing but tapas bars in Seville because small plate appetizers are one of our favorite ways to eat –I just want several. So recently my son and his wife Missy returned from San Sebastian, Spain (trip for her 40th birthday) and they ate at some wonderful places. I received pictures almost daily of some of the pintxos they were feasting on.

So, their trip inspired me to look for a new idea for a small appetizer/pintxos/tapas and after looking at many I came across this recipe at Dan Murphy’s website from Australia and is a wine and spirits website with lots of food pairing recipe to go with their wines.

In case you don’t know what a tapas or pintxos is here goes — a pintxos (pinchos) is a Basque-fied take on pinchos which means “to pierce”. Pintxos are typically pierced and skewered to a piece of bread. In the Basque country pintxos will never be called a tapas. In Seville small portions are called tapas. In other words they are small plates of food, appetizer size and if you want to read more about them please go here, because it gets pretty complicated to explain.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Tapas, Tapas Everywhere was a post I did back in 2010 after returning from Spain. Hope you will take time to look at some of the pictures of our food from that trip.

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I found fresh English peas at Trader Joe’s.

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Strawberry’s Shake-On Bar-B-Que seasoning is one of my favorites. Sprinkle some of this on both sides of shrimp.

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Cook shrimp in skillet a few minutes until tone.

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Bring some water to a boil in small saucepan; add the English peas and bring back to a boil then drain off the water.

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Use a fork and mash the peas until broken up.

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Remove crust from bread and cut into four pieces. Brush with butter and bake in 365° oven until brown and crisp.

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Put some of the smashed peas on the toasted squares.

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Top the toast/crushed pea with a small slice of mango and shrimp. I brushed the shrimp with a little melted butter to make it shine. Add pic (or not) and serve.

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I made two per person because these were extra large shrimp.

Mango and Shrimp Pintxos

Ingredients

  • 16 large shrimp shelled and deveined
  • Tony Chachear's or any kind of seafood seasoning
  • 1 mangoes thinly sliced
  • 1 cup of fresh English peas
  • 1 c. shelled edamame
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 3 green onions very thinly sliced
  • 4 slices of bread
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • lime wedges optional

Instructions

  1. Peel and devein the shrimp. Sprinkle with the seasoning. Put the shrimp in an oiled skillet and cooked until done. This may take 4-5 minutes; cook until pink.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°. Cut the crust off the bread off and then into four squares per slice. Brush each square with butter, oven bake for 10 min or until golden brown. Remove and cool.
  3. Place the peas and edamame in a pot of water and bring to the boil. Remove from heat immediately, drain, then add 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Add the garlic and lemon juice. Mix well, crushing the peas with the back of a fork. (Or you can give it a few spins in a food processor)
  4. Assemble the pintxos by spooning some of the crushed pea mixture on top of each toast square. Top with a slice of mango and skewer the shrimp on a bamboo pick or skewer and stick through the mango slice. The shrimp will be standing up. (I brushed the shrimp with some of the leftover melted butter to make it shine.
  5. Serve with lime wedges and squeeze some of the juice over the shrimp/toast.

Recipe Notes

If you don't have Tony's seasoning for the shrimp you can use any of your favorite seafood seasoning or a blend for lemon pepper, paprika and chili powder. If you don't have edamame you can use all English peas.

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