Cactus Shrimp With Cactus-lime-butter Sauce

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 5 -6 prickly pears, dethorned if necessary,peeled,yielding 1 1/4 cup of puree (tunas, the fruit of the cactus)
• 1 (8 ounce) box tempura mix (some will be left over)
• 1 tablespoon achiote paste
• 1/2 lb large shrimp or 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• peanut oil, for frying
• 1/4 cup wine
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, stems removed
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 lime
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature

Recipe

• 1 pulse tunas (cactus fruit) briefly in a food processor or blender; strain.
• 2 set aside 1 cup purã©ed tunas, and reserve remaining 1/4 cup for cactus-lime-butter sauce.
• 3 combine 1 cup tempura mix and the achiote paste in a blender or food processor, and pulse until smooth.
• 4 place mixture in a medium-size bowl, add 1 cup purã©ed tunas, and mix well.
• 5 chill.
• 6 dust shrimp with cornstarch.
• 7 dip each shrimp individually into tempura-tuna batter, and fry in hot oil (375â°) until golden brown, frying only 3-4 at a time.
• 8 drain well.
• 9 for the cactus-lime-butter sauce: combine wine, cilantro, and shallot in a heavy 2 quart saucepan.
• 10 cook over medium heat until wine is almost gone.
• 11 while the wine is reducing, zest the lime; set zest aside.
• 12 juice the lime; set juice aside.
• 13 when the wine has reduced to almost nothing, add lime zest, lime juice, and heavy cream, stirring constantly with a whisk.
• 14 lower heat, and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
• 15 remove from heat for about 5 minutes.
• 16 while the pot is still hot, slowly begin whisking in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, until smooth.
• 17 strain through a fine sieve.
• 18 keep sauce warm—if it becomes too cold or too hot, the sauce will separate, and you’ll have to begin the process again.
• 19 fold in the remaining 1/4 cup cactus fruit purã©e.
• 20 yield: enough sauce for cactus shrimp.