Rissois de Camarao

I don't think you can go to a portuguese gathering without finding some of these sitting on the table, just waiting for you to dig in.

Growing up I remember these being served at special occasions and especially around Christmas time, we could just run to the local Portuguese Bakeries and pick up a dozen or two, or if we were so inclined and had the time....we made them at home.
Before I was even married I was already learning how to make them so that one day I could too fix this for my family....they now get to enjoy a little of my portuguese heritage and they love it :)

Rissois de Camarao - Portuguese Shrimp Turnovers

1 lb bag of shrimp (salad shrimp works fine)
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 cup flour
1 cup water

Filling:
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 tbsp flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Little bit of milk
Parsley flakes
Red chilli pepper flakes to taste


Boil one cup of water with the margarine and salt...

When it starts boiling, add the flour all at once and start stirring

Stir until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides, then you're going to remove it from the heat. Isn't it neat how it starts forming a ball???

Turn the dough onto a floured surface........

Then you need to knead it until it becomes a nice round ball that is soft to the touch and springs back a little when pressed down.....but don't overwork the dough.

At this point you need to divide the dough in half, form two balls, cover with a kitchen towel and let it cool down.

In a frying pan, add the butter and the diced onion.... cook the onion until it's tender....

Then I add garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper

Add a little bit of water

Add the shrimp......I use the Salad Shrimp, just open the bag and let it run under some cold water for a bit to thaw.

One tablespoon of flour to help thicken the sauce

And then a little bit of milk

Then in goes the parsley, cook it for a little until thickened, remove from heat and set aside...

Now the dough is cool, so we are going to set it on a floured surface, roll it out and cut it with a round object, I just use one of my tea cups

Place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the middle and fold in half, pressing the edges together

Dip the rissois in beaten eggs and then breadcrumbs

Here they are ready to fry.......yummmmm
At this point you can also freeze them, they keep for about a month. I like doing this because I can pull out a few at a time and quickly fry them for a snack or a light meal served with some salad.

Fry them in hot oil for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.