Shrimp Stuffed Jalapenos question

[dragnlaw]

I've now made these twice, Shrimp stuffed into hollow jalapenos, dipped in a beer batter and fried.

I've been subbing Rice flour for a friend who is sensitive to gluten, but although that is not my main question, this last time I didn't get the portions right and it ended up being too runny and hardly sticking to the jalapeno. I was reducing the mix to the bare minimum as |I was only making a couple (4 to be exact).

Can anyone give me suggestions to be more economical in the blend and quantity? Liquid to flour/baking soda?

My big question is - Could there be a limit to the size of the jalapeno that if it is too big it will lose heat due to the length of time needed to cook?

These were probably under 3" in length, well portioned - meaning in overall shape. I stuffed them with 4 shrimp, tails sticking out. Divided 2 extra shrimp to push into all four of them as I felt they were a little "loose" at the tops.

I wanted to be sure the shrimp inside were cooked. Maybe I should stick with little tiny peppers and shrimp so they cook faster? There was no "bite" at all in them. The shrimp were perfectly cooked as were the peppers.

Or I could dip the shrimp first in a Sambal Oelek sauce? Or leave the membrane and seeds in?

I've made some oven baked (cheese stuffed bacon wrapped style) and think that the pepper retained its "bite" OK. What happened?

 

[dragnlaw]

After struggling with the membrane and trying not to tear the opening - I grabbed the lobster gizmo for pulling out the seeds and membrane. (giving myself little pats on the back)

Those are 4" tiles on the counter, to give you a comparison for size.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Just shrimp stuffed into the pepper?

 

[dragnlaw]

Yeah, I thought the jalapenos would carry the spicy... I was wrong, spicy seemed to have been cooked out of them.
They were very juicy from the pepper - but not enough flavour other than the shrimp.

Perhaps next time I will dip the shrimp into a spicy peanut sauce or some such. Had the batter been slightly thicker it would have soaked a bit of the juice up and also soaked up more of the Malt Vinegar we dipped them in.

Everyone loved them but still ... would like to fix this.

 

[Kayelle]

Yeah, I thought the jalapenos would carry the spicy... I was wrong, spicy seemed to have been cooked out of them.
They were very juicy from the pepper - but not enough flavour other than the shrimp.

Perhaps next time I will dip the shrimp into a spicy peanut sauce or some such. Had the batter been slightly thicker it would have soaked a bit of the juice up and also soaked up more of the Malt Vinegar we dipped them in.

Everyone loved them but still ... would like to fix this.

Hmmm, what about stuffing them with a shrimp and matchstick pieces of pepper jack cheese?

 

[GotGarlic]

Most of the heat in hot peppers is in the seeds and membranes, although heat can vary a lot depending on how much water and sun the peppers received during the growing season.

 

[dragnlaw]

GG that is very true... most of the heat, but not all. Unfortunately it is a crap shoot as to which ones have the heat, I know that. Even jarred chili pastes can vary from season to season in their intensity.

I have eaten cleaned jalapeno that have made me say "whoosh" and the Thai bird peppers that I use, I diligently scrape out the membranes and seeds... those little suckers are still plenty hot for me! I'm not into the high end of the scale in hot, I still like to taste my food.

Actually this has given me an idea... how about I sliver sliver sliver tiny strands of the Thai Bird Chili's and stuff one strand in too!

 

[dragnlaw]

Thanks Kayelle, that is a good option. I was trying to stay away from cheese though. But I really like the idea, as with most poppers halved, the cheese goes everywhere, here they would be contained. hmmmm....

 

[GotGarlic]

GG that is very true... most of the heat, but not all.

That's what I said

 

[Andy M.]

How about cooking the shrimp, then chopping it up and mixing it with seasoning and some cheese and stuffing the peppers. That way you don't have to worry about cooking the filling through, just get the pepper cooked to your liking. Of course, you could also wrap them in bacon. . .

 

[dragnlaw]

Of course GG, that's why I quoted you. Semantics.

 

[GotGarlic]

Of course GG, that's why I quoted you. Semantics.

What semantics? I made a simple statement. I didn't claim that procedure removed all the heat. It's not complicated.

 

[caseydog]

Yeah, I thought the jalapenos would carry the spicy... I was wrong, spicy seemed to have been cooked out of them.

Jalepaños are fickle. I grow them, and they can be scorching hot, or barely hotter than a bell pepper. My home grown japs tend to be weaker in the Spring, and HOT in the Fall.

Leaving the membrane in will help with the heat. The seeds don't matter.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

I grew one little plant last year. Obviously I didn't put it in the right place. I got one (1) pepper! I don't even remember now if it was hot or not. LOL but I did eat it!

Seriously caseyd, seeing as you seem to have some hands on experience...

1. is there any way to tell whether or not the pepper in your right hand is going to be hotter than the pepper in your left hand? (without taking a bite)

I thought I had read somewhere that the shinier the skin - the hotter? Of course, they all look shiny to me, from Poblano, Jalapeno, Banana, Scotch to Thai and on up.

2. does a pepper lose heat after it is cooked?

3. if #2 is a yes answer, are the popular 'poppers', which are generally made with cheese and often bacon, only cooked to melt the cheese and crisp up the bacon... but not cooking the pepper too much thereby not losing the heat of the jalapeno?

 

[Dawgluver]

Living in the Great White North, our japs are a crapshoot. Much of the time they're not much hotter than a bell pepper. I think it depends on the weather.

I grew Thai hots for a few years. Not only are they ornamental, they're hotter than blazes. We have a friend who grows peppers, some of them would blow the top of your head off. She gives us some every year, often cross-pollinated, so none of us know what the heck they are.

 

[taxlady]

I find that jalapeños vary so much that when I make ABTs (fairly frequently), that I have to taste a bit of the end that I'm going to discard. Sometimes I can chew it with hardly any heat. Other times a tiny lick has me going oh! oh! oh! Depending on heat, I adjust how much seeds and membranes I remove. I read that it is really only the membranes that are hot. I just had to experiment and I found a fair bit of heat in each of a few seeds. YMMV

 

[taxlady]

Did you happen to buy the jalapeños at a West Island supermarket? I have found those usually have no heat whatsoever. I always get mine from Mourelatos or one of the Asian stores.

 

[dragnlaw]

Hmmm, Mouralatos, forgot all about them. It's been years since I've been there. I had thought that Adonis had pretty much wiped them out. I know a lot of people love Adonis' but I'm not a big fan.

don't remember where I got them, probably in Alexandra. I know it wasn't Sheng Tai. I have to start making a trek in there more often. Went this Mon. after dropping friends off at the airport.

Taxy, what are ABT's?

 

[taxlady]

Hmmm, Mouralatos, forgot all about them. It's been years since I've been there. I had thought that Adonis had pretty much wiped them out. I know a lot of people love Adonis' but I'm not a big fan.

don't remember where I got them, probably in Alexandra. I know it wasn't Sheng Tai. I have to start making a trek in there more often. Went this Mon. after dropping friends off at the airport.

Taxy, what are ABT's?

Atomic Buffalo Turds. Jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese, cheddar, and a little smokey (but I use organic hot dog pieces since I can't find the little smokeys here.) all wrapped in bacon and grilled or baked.

 

[CraigC]

Atomic Buffalo Turds. Jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese, cheddar, and a little smokey (but I use organic hot dog pieces since I can't find the little smokeys here.) all wrapped in bacon and grilled or baked.

There are probably as many variations of ABTs as there are "Q" pit masters! The wood used also varies the flavor.