Surimi is very versatile and notoriously delicious. After you have tasted it, you will want to try it in all possible ways. Find out how to use it and which ingredients to combine it with to give it even more flavor and character.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Making the Surimi
Step 1. Buy surimi at the supermarket
Contrary to popular belief, surimi (also known as "crab sticks") is made from fish and not crab meat. For convenience, it is best to purchase a package of surimi cut into small pieces. This way it will be ready for use.
For this recipe, you won't need anything other than frying oil. However, if you like, you can add some spices or toppings to taste
Step 2. Heat the oil to 175 ° C
Set the temperature of the oil on the deep fryer and let it heat up. For fat-free cooking, you can use a modern air fryer. The procedure is the same as when you fry the fries.
As in most cases, it's best to turn on the deep fryer early and let the oil warm up while you prepare the ingredients to fry
Step 3. Make a batter
The surimi morsels are even better wrapped in a good crunchy batter. You can make it in no time with water, cornstarch, flour, milk, salt and baking soda. Mix the ingredients and dip the surimi bites into the batter just before putting them in the deep fryer.
You can also use the tempura batter recipe
Step 4. Cut the surimi
You can give it any shape you like. For example, you can cut it into sticks (like french fries) to serve it as finger food. Keep in mind that size affects cooking time.
Step 5. Fry the surimi
Once it's ready, it's time to put it in the deep fryer. It is advisable to fry only a few pieces at a time to obtain a crisper breading. When they are golden brown, drain the first batch of sticks from the oil and cook the others.
Part 2 of 2: Serve the Surimi
Step 1. Create a surimi-centric menu
Crab sticks have a distinctive and pleasant taste and are widely used in oriental cuisine. Unless you intend to eat them on their own as a snack, you can incorporate them into various recipes. For example, you can add them to a rice salad. In addition to rice, they also go well with noodles.
Most of the recipes that include surimi belong to oriental cuisine, but feel free to try pairing it with more traditional foods. Remember that creativity and originality are among the qualities that make a chef great
Step 2. Season the surimi with lemon, lime or vinegar
With or without batter, surimi's flavor tends to improve if you use a strong flavored topping. Just like fried fish, crab sticks are also enhanced by lemon juice. Alternatively, you can try using lime juice or a few drops of vinegar if you like strong flavors.
Step 3. Accompany the surimi with your favorite sauce
Crab sticks are perfect to serve as a snack and become even more delicious dipped in a sauce. You can experiment with different combinations to find out which one is best. Recommended options include soy sauce a and sriracha sauce. Let yourself be guided by the desire to try new flavors.
Step 4. Season the surimi
If you think it tastes a bit bland, you can season it with salt and pepper. A pinch of the two spices is generally enough to sprint any dish, including crab sticks. Salt and pepper enhance both the taste and the texture of the surimi and can be enough to make it more appetizing if you want to serve it in a simple way.
Advice
- Evaluate from time to time which combinations and condiments you like best and which ones are better to discard. This way you will be able to constantly improve your recipes.
- Surimi is also suitable for those who do not like crab, as it does not contain any.
Warnings
- The taste of surimi can be addictive, but you have to keep in mind that like any other fried food it is not good for your health, so it is best to eat it in moderation.
- Whenever you use the deep fryer you need to be very careful not to burn yourself with the hot oil, especially when inserting or removing food from the basket. Splashes of hot oil are very dangerous and can cause severe burns.
