EGYPT: Fried Shrimp (Gambari Maklee) Sandwich with Tahini Sauce and Pickled Eggplant (Batinjan Mekhalil)

I contend that fried seafood sandwiches do not get the glory and limelight they deserve. Way back when, McDonald's had an offering called the McDLT. While on one hand this deservedly retired beef burger has nothing to do with a fish sandwich, on the other it captures the essence of what makes fried seafood sandwiches so magical: the melange of hot and cold. There is something unparalleled about biting into sizzling seafood covered in bright vegetables and a chilled sauce.

While batinjan mekhalil translates to pickled eggplant, thus I ran with that, it is not exactly pickled. Rather boiled or fried eggplants are stuffed with a vinegar-forward salsa. While you can serve the eggplant straight away (and continue with the hot-and-cold-melange theme), the flavors meld after resting for a few hours, or even a day or two, in the fridge. Thus the surface of eggplant becomes slightly pickled.

Fried Shrimp (Gambari Maklee) Sandwich

1 lb raw shrimp (21-30 per lb), peeled and deveined

Marinade

1 medium tomato

1 Fresno or red bell pepper

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ cup cilantro leaves and stalks

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Dredge

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used Cup4Cup)

1½ tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

For Frying and Serving

2 cups vegetable oil

2 large or 4 small pita bread pockets

tahini sauce (below)

1 medium tomato

2 Persian cucumbers

1 lemon

1 teaspoon olive oil

¼ cup chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1. Defrost the shrimp, then rinse them under fresh tap water. Dry well with a paper towel and place in a medium bowl.

2. Seed and roughly chop the tomato and pepper. Peel and chop the garlic. Add the tomato, pepper, garlic, and the remaining marinade ingredients to a mini food processor and blend. Pour over the shrimp, toss to combine, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Mix flour, corn starch, and dredge spices together in a large plastic bag or container with a lid. Transfer the marinated shrimp to a sieve to discard any excess liquid. Pat shrimp dry with a pepper towel. Place shrimp the bag or container with the dredge and shake a few times to evenly cover the shrimp.

4. Get rid of the excess flour by transferring the shrimp to a sieve and give it a few shakes over a sink or garbage. Sprinkle droplets of water on the flour-coated shrimp with wet fingers or using a spray bottle, which will make the flour coating stick to the shrimp and help them crisp in the hot oil.

5. Heat the oil to 350° F in a deep sided sauté pan or Dutch oven. Add the shrimp in small batches without overcrowding. Fry the shrimp for 2 minutes on each side or until the shrimp is golden.

   Remove the fried shrimp and let them rest on kitchen paper towel.

6. While shrimp is cooking, chop tomato and cucumbers into a large dice. Toss with juice from ½ of the lemon. Mix with olive oil and parsley. Cut remaining ½ of lemon into 4 wedges.

7. To serve, place ¼ of the cooked shrimp inside a pita pocket. Top with ¼ of the mixed vegetables and drizzle with tahini sauce. Serve each pita with a wedge of lemon.

   
   

Tahini Sauce

¼ cup tahini paste

½ lemon

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons white vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground paprika

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoon parsley, finally chopped (optional)

1. Add tahini paste to a small mixing bowl. Squeeze ½ lemon on top of the bowl, and whisk to incorporate. Mixture will thicken up until a firm paste.

2. Gradually add warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it thins to the constancy of mayonnaise and becomes lighter in color. Stir in the oil, vinegar, spices, and garlic. Fold in parsley.

3. Store the in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Pickled Eggplant (Batinjan Mekhalil)

2 cups of canola oil in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven (optional, if frying)

4 baby eggplants, ideally longer and thinner ones

1 Fresno pepper

1 small bunch cilantro

1 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1. If boiling, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove stems from eggplant and place whole eggplants into water. Cover and boil for 8 minutes until the eggplants lose their shine and you can pierce a knife through. Drain and place to one side to cool. Once eggplants are cool to the touch, use a sharp knife to cut them lengthways and about halfway deep.

2. If frying, pour oil to about 2 inches deep and heat over medium heat. Slit eggplant from base to stem about halfway through flesh, leaving whole. Once oil reaches about 350° F, place eggplant in the oil, slit side down. Cook about 5 minutes, then turn over and cook another 5, until eggplants lose their shine, and you can pierce a knife through. Drain and place to one side to cool.

3. In a food processor, add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until well incorporated. It will look like a chunky salsa.

4. Gently open up eggplant and spread half of the salsa mixture on top of each eggplant.

5. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to two days.

#friedshrimp #shrimp #seafoodsandwich #eggplant #egypt #statueofliberty 

FUN FACTS:

• When French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi first had the idea for Statue of Liberty, he wanted it to stand at the entrance of Suez canal with the name "Egypt Bringing Light to Asia".

• Cairo’s Oasis Restaurants and Entertainment is the largest food court in the world. It has 25 restaurants and can seat more than 4,000 diners at a time.

• The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the biggest of the Pyramids of Giza, and is the last ancient wonder of the world left standing.