Crispy Millet Cakes with Shrimp, Scallions, and Old Bay

Ingredients

1 cup (200 g) uncooked millet

Kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1 pound (450 g) shrimp, preferably wild-caught, peeled and deveined

1 bunch scallions (about 6), thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons plain whole- milk or low-fat yogurt

1 cup (120 g) millet flour, barley flour, or brown rice flour (or any wheat flour, if you are okay with gluten)

Vegetable or extra-virgin olive oil, for frying

Lemon wedges, for squeezing

Yogo Ranch Dressing (page 313), Turmeric

Mayo (page 315), Tzatziki (page 318), or Ginger, Garlic, and Fish Sauce Dipping and Dunking Sauce (page 314), for serving

Directions

Put the millet in a medium saucepan and add water to cover by 3 inches (7.5 cm), 1 tablespoon salt, and the garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until very tender and no longer chalky, about 20 minutes.

Drain the millet and garlic, shaking to remove excess water. Let sit for a few minutes, then spread it onto a baking sheet and let dry, raking through the grains a few times for even drying. Smash the garlic with a fork, but leave in the mix.

Cut the shrimp into small pieces, so that they distribute well in the fritter mix, but large enough that they remain succulent. Cut "large" shrimp into 10 pieces.

Transfer the millet to a bowl. Add the shrimp, scallions, Old Bay, and lemon zest. Toss to mix.

Whisk together the eggs and yogurt in a small bowl and fold into the millet mixture. Let sit for a couple of minutes, then fold in half the flour-add only enough to make a shapeable batter. To

test, shape about ¾ cup (60 ml) of batter into a little puck. If it holds together, you're good. If it's too sloppy to hold together, stir in a bit more flour and repeat the test.

To cook, arrange a double layer of paper towels on a tray. To shallow-fry, pour about ¾ inch (6 mm) of oil into a large heavy skillet. To deep-fry, pour 3 inches (7.5 cm) of oil into a deep pot (be sure the pot is deep enough that the oil can't bubble up and overflow). Heat the oil to 335°F (168°C). Add a few patties and fry until deep golden brown and fully cooked inside (including the shrimp), about 4 minutes on each side, depending on the size of your patties. (Don't overcrowd the pan, and wait a few seconds before adding more patties so the oil temperature doesn't dip.) Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on the paper towels; cook the remaining patties.

Serve hot, with lemon wedges and the condiment/sauce of your choice.

Notes

These tasty, golden-crusted patties are a brilliant showcase for millet. The grain's neutral flavor lets the mild shrimp shine and nicely absorbs the ever-so-spicy Old Bay flavors, Millet's texture is tender but toothy, which makes the patties substantial enough to serve on a bun as a seafood sandwich with a slice of tomato and some crispy iceberg lettuce or with an egg on top for breakfast. And millet is gluten-free, so if you use millet flour as the binder, you're good. — Serves 4 to 6