As the World Cup semi-finals approach, the crowds will come out in full force to watch their favourite teams compete. As it gets harder to find a seat at your favourite eatery to watch the games, it may be better to watch the games from home. Turn on the biggest TV you have, invite your football-loving friends and serve up these easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing recipes
Coconut shrimp
Danny Kattar, executive chef, InterContinental Abu Dhabi: “This dish has a very nice Caribbean flavour, which provides a nice contrast to the shrimp, while the peanut sauce gives a beautiful kick to the sweetness of the dish. It’s easy to prepare, extremely tasty and offers a creative twist to impress your guests.”
Ingredients
24 shrimps
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup non-alcoholic beer
1½ tsp baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (additional to above)
2 cups flaked coconut
3 cups oil for frying
For the peanut sauce
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
4½ tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 medium garlic clove, mashed to a paste
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Method
For the shrimps
• In a medium bowl, combine the egg, 1/2 cup flour, non-alcoholic beer and baking powder. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls.
• Hold shrimp by the tail, and dredge in flour. Dip in egg/beer batter, allowing excess to drip off.
• Roll shrimp in coconut, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil to 180°C and fry shrimp in batches until golden brown.
For the peanut sauce
• Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use. Whisk again before serving.
Prawn toast and sweet chilli sauce
Lorraine Sinclair, executive chef, Fairmont Dubai: “It’s different than the typical small bites that you would associate with sporting events. It’s easy to put together and doesn’t require hours of preparation or execution. This dish can stand its ground among fast-food-type bites.”
Ingredients (serves 10)
1kg tiger prawns (cleaned/deveined)
4 garlic cloves (grated)
1 thumb of fresh ginger (grated)
15g sugar
10g shrimp paste
2 whole eggs (beaten)
2 egg whites
10ml sesame oil
4 spring onions
10 slices white bread (stale)
120g panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1l vegetable oil (deep frying)
8g salt
For the Sweet Chilli Sauce
8 red chillies
8 garlic cloves
100ml rice vinegar
200g castor sugar
30g mayonnaise
15g salt
Method
• In a blender, place the prawns, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, egg whites and oil. Purée and stir in the onions.
• Remove the crusts from the bread and evenly spread the mixture over each slice.
• Place the panko crumbs in one bowl and the beaten eggs in another bowl. Dip each slice in the beaten egg mixture, taking care not to spill the prawn mixture, and transfer the slice to the panko crumbs and coat evenly. Remove any excess crumbs by gently shaking the bread.
• Deep fry in clean vegetable oil until golden brown.
• Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the sweet chilli sauce.
For the sweet chilli sauce
• Purée all ingredients in a small blender until smooth. Check for the balance of sweet, sour and hot.
Nachos with guacamole, salsa and sour cream
Paul Lupton, chef de cuisine, Rhodes 44, Abu Dhabi: “This is my guilty pleasure! The nachos are my own take on the cinema classic. They are easy to share with friends and take minutes to make up. It’s great being able to pass around food that all my friends are going to enjoy.”
Ingredients for guacamole
2 ripe avocados, peeled, halved and stoned
Juice of 1 lime
2 shallots or 1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 fresh green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
salt and pepper
Method
• Chop the avocado and mix in the lime juice. Add all remaining ingredients and mix together. Pass through drum sieve and season with salt and pepper.
Ingredients for salsa
6 plum tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 medium red onion, very finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, crushed
Small splash of white vinegar
Squeeze of lime juice
Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
• Mix all ingredients and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
• Guests can assemble their own plate of nachos. Start with a plate of tortilla chips and top with the guacamole and salsa.
• Offer additional toppings such as cheese sauce, sliced jalapeño peppers, sour cream and chopped coriander.
Peri-peri chicken wings
Babuji Panicker, head chef, Wavebreaker Beach Bar & Grill, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort: “The delicious sweet, sticky peri-peri chicken wings are the perfect accompaniment for every World Cup game. The spicy peri-peri flavour is universally popular and most importantly for busy football fans, the wings are quick and easy to prepare. This dish is sure to impress.”
Ingredients (serves 4)
1/2kg chicken wings
240ml peri-peri sauce (buy it or make your own)
240g French fries (optional)
Salt and pepper
Method
• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Marinate the chicken wings in the peri-peri sauce, sprinkle with salt and pepper and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
• Place the marinated chicken wings in a tray in the oven and cook for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked throughout and the sauce caramelises.
• Serve with French fries.
sjohnson@thenational.ae
