Sorry I’m posting this after Thanksgiving — got swamped again. Hopefully whoever wanted this can still use it for the holidays, or next year…

Coconut-Crusted Camaron Rebosado

1 egg yolk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup ice water
1/2-3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 lb. medium-large shrimp – 36-40 count, peeled to last segment (leave tail on, devein if desired)
Canola or other vegetable oil for deep-frying

Whisk egg, flour and ice water briskly in a bowl, just until smooth. In another bowl, combine panko crumbs and coconut. Dip peeled shrimp in batter, then in crumb-coconut mixture. Deep-fry over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side, just until shrimp is cooked through and coating is golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve with pumpkin soup as a starter.

Cranberry Achara

1/4 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1 12-oz package fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 cup raisins (Thompsons, golden or a mix)
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons thinly julienned ginger
1 cup pineapple chunks, each chunk halved if desired
1 cup julienned yellow bell pepper
1 Thai chili, minced, seeded if desired (optional)

In a non-reactive saucepan or casserole, heat vinegar, sugar and salt, over medium heat, stirring to dissolve. Add black pepper, cranberries and raisins. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until cranberries ahve popped and mixture has begun to thicken, about 15 minues. Remove from heat, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and fold gently to combine. Serve warm, chilled or at room temperature.

Cook’s Notes: I like my achara with BITE, which will come primarily from the shallots, the ginger, the garlic, and the optional Thai chili. If you want your achara more mellow, simply add those ingredients to the cranberries the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, instead of using them uncooked. Proceed with the recipe as instructed.

Sweet Potato Buko Pie

For the crust:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into bits
3 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening (Spectrum brand recommended) or lard (preferably all-natural, no preservatives)
approximately 5 tablespoons ice water

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse-process flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and shortening and continue to process using short bursts. You should get a meal-like texture. Add 4 tablespoons ice water and pulse again, about 7 times. Grab a bit of the mixture — if it holds together, you don’t need more water. If it’s still crumbly, add the remaining water and pulse again until incorporated. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Gather dough together to form a disk, about 1-inch thick. Wrap with the plastic and chill for at least half an hour before rolling.

Alternatively, mix flour, salt and sugar together in a bowl. Cut in butter and shortening using a pastry blender, a fork, or two knives — or use your fingertips. Add water and knead lightly or use a plastic or wooden spatula to incorporate. Don’t worry if there are small lumps of butter and shortening in the dough — these will contribute to the flakiness of the pie crust. Proceed as directed above.

Prepare the filling:

2 large sweet potatoes (garnet yams preferred but jewel is quite acceptable)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package young coconut, thawed and drained thoroughly — about 1 cup buko shreds

Take the sweet potatoes, pierce them all over with a fork and bake them in the oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour, or in the microwave on high for 12 minutes. Chop off the ends (which tend to get fibrous), peel and mash (or, cut sweet potatoes in half and scrape out the flesh). You will need 1 1/2 cups, mashed, for this recipe. Combine mashed sweet potatoes and the rest of the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside until needed.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out pie crust to an even thickness about 10 inches in diameter. Fold in half, then half again. Lift pie crust gently and lay point in the center of a 9-inch pie plate. Open up the pie crust (it should be nicely centered). Press gently to fill sides of pie plate. Trim off excess crust with scissors, leaving about 1-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and press onto pie plate edge to adhere. Flute edges decoratively or press with the tines of a fork. Set an empty baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven (this is to catch any spills that may occur during baking). Pour filling into the crust and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. If crust is browning too quickly, use a pie crust shield or pieces of foil to cover the edges. Bake until center is set and crust is golden. Cool before serving.

More tomorrow.