Grilled Cheese with an Egg in the Basket

Grilled Cheese and a what?

I said, a Grilled Cheese sandwich with an Egg in the Basket. It’s not that complicated is it? It’s two of my favorite comfort foods molded into one delicious sandwich, and it’s got Brunch written all over it! I suppose there are probably recipes for each of these all over the web these days because they’re both really popular items and they’re both very easy to prepare, but can you do both at the same time in the same recipe? You’ll be able to after you watch this little step by step tutorial, I promise you. Especially once you realize that this Brunch sandwich is smothered with a sausage country gravy!

Grilled Cheese with an Egg in a Basket Ingredients:

2 pieces of Bread
2 tbsp Butter
1 egg
1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese

Butter only one peice of bread. Cookie cut the other for the egg in a basket. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a hot pan over medium and place the cookie cut slice in the pan, then crack one egg in the middle and add salt and pepper. After one minute, flip the bread over to the other side, using a spatula, and cover the top with cheese immediately. Then place the other piece of bread on top and wait 1 minute to flip the whole sandwich over, to cook the other side. Once you’ve flipped the Grilled Cheese Sandwich over, the Egg in a Basket side will be facing up. Cook for another minute then plate. I like to serve my Grilled Cheese with an Egg in a Basket, with sausage or country gravy!

Outback Style Coconut Shrimp

The Best Coconut Shrimp

This Coconut Shrimp recipe is based on the basic Aussie recipe you can find on the menu at just about any Outback Steak and Grill Restaurant. I wouldn’t dare say that it is their exact recipe but I would definitely argue that it is just as good, if not better because the similarities are uncanny. And if you’re a fan of the way they cook their prawns, then this is the recipe for you because these are the best.

Outback Coconut Shrimp

Most Restaurants butterfly their shrimp and fry them in fresh leafed coconut, and so do I but I don’t use Panko. I’m not saying that they do but some recipes call for it and I find that it isn’t necessary if you take different steps. For example, I dip my shrimp in Tempura instead of an egg wash and I make the batter a little bit thicker than usual to assure the coconut stays on the shrimp. If you do this, instead of dipping the shrimp in egg-wash, you’ll have an easier time frying your Coconut Shrimp and they’ll turn out crispier. That is, if you follow my Tempura recipe.

Coconut Shrimp Ingredients:

1 lbs Shrimp
1 cup Tempura Batter
1 cup Shredded Coconut
Oil for frying

Butterfly the Shrimp by cutting a small incision down the back of the spine 3/4 of the way through. Dip the Shrimp in the Tempura Batter then roll in the Shredded Coconut. Pan Fry on medium heat with only 1/8 inch of oil in the bottom of the pan for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the Coconut Shrimp and place on paper towels that can absorb the frying oil, then serve.

Southern Fish Fry

My Fish Fry Recipe!

I know it seems like I recently posted about a fish fry recipe but the point was to illustrate that you can either purchase a simple fish fry from a box, or you can wait for my perfected Southern Fish Fry recipe. You see, it’s taken me almost 3 years to break down the truth and the simplicity of the succulent Cat Fish Fry recipes, cooked in the south. Places like Schooner’s, Bay Town or Chicken Express have the best southern fish fry batter that leaves the filet’s crispy yet moist, and very sweet and buttery. They’re fantastic. Apparently, however, all of the restaurants in the south have known the secret for years but they’re just not so hip on sharing it. To make matters worse, even the Chinese Buffets, in the south, know the secrets to frying great Cat Fish. I’ve heard everything from a pre-fry brine or overnight buttermilk soak (which actually pulls out the fishy taste) to Italian dressing and mustard marinades. It’s insane. The problem was, though those marinades provide a pretty decent taste for the fish, it still wasn’t what I was looking for, and I tried them all.

The Fish Fry Secret

Truthfully I about killed over when I figured out how easy this recipe really is. Nothing to it, AT ALL! The crazy thing is, I actually tried a version like this before but for some reason it didn’t turn out right. So I dismissed this recipe and moved on, wasting another year picking apart other ideas. Hilarious right? Well, not to me. Normally I can pick apart almost any recipe in seconds and tell you exactly what’s in it. Anyone that has been following my recipes can attest to that by now. I don’t read cook books unless I absolutely have to. But some secrets aren’t in print, and some printed recipes just list “secret” in the title just to get you to read their content, and usually they aren’t any where near the vicinity of the correct ingredients for that particular recipe. Anyway, short and sweet, I’ve GOT IT! I’m very pleased and proud to announce that I do. However, I’m embarrassed that it took me this long for this simple recipe. But who’s really going to deny the craving for catfish Po’Boy that looks like this…?

Southern Fish Fry Ingredients:

1 Fish Filet (medium 10 to 12 oz)
1 cup Yellow Corn Meal
1/4 cup Yellow Corn Flour or Masa
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Black Pepper

EGG WASH
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk

Cut your filet into desired portions, then egg wash the fish and batter in the Corn Meal. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then fry the filet portions at 375 degrees until golden brown. Serve and enjoy this traditional Southern Fish Fry recipe today.