SHRIMP FRITTERS with Coconut Rum with Za Za Zing Cayaenne Pepper

With rum cheaper than orange juice, I am seeing more and more recipes that use rum as a flavor. The alcohol cooks out, leaving an earthy taste, combined with whatever flavoring you may chose to use. Cruzan Rum, US Virgin Island's own, makes several varieties of flavored rums, including coconut, vanilla, pineapple, banana, raspberry, rum cream, Black Cherry, citrus, guava and mango. This recipes adapt easily to whatever flavored rum you have on hand.

These little beauties are incredibly fast, incredibly easy and incredibly tasty. On the island, I always seem to have a few extra shrimp on hand, and this is a great place to use up everything... Got a little onion, toss it in, a little red pepper, in it goes. Mushrooms, scallions, jalapeno ... Just about whatever you can think of. I have made these three times so far. They are a great alternative to a starch. And a really great alternative to a bread.

And since you can eat them with one hand, they are great to take to the beach for a nice little snack while walking hand in hand in the moonlight...

Or you can eat these one handed while trying to scrape the ice and snow from your windshield with a credit card (sure, that's a funny line right now, but I will get what I deserve this time next year, don't worry).

1/4 cup Coconut Rum
3 tablespoons Coconut Water
2 Eggs beaten
1 cup Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 tsp CAYENNE PEPPER (Za Za Zing version... Or try some paprika if you want a milder version)
1 cup cooked, minced, deveined, tails removed Shrimp (or crab or scallops or clams or conch or a leftover piece of fish... this is a versatile recipe)
Canola Oil for frying

• Combine all the ingredients except the shrimp and oil.
• Fold in the shrimp
• Heat oil for frying in a shallow frying pan. You only need about an inch.
  
• Fry to a golden brown, about 3 minutes per side
• Drain on paper towels!
  

I served these with a thin little Blackened Steak, and some grilled onions (not shown)...

And a Pineapple rum and Pineapple Juice drink!

Later, we enjoyed a Banana Rum and Orange Juice drink. We had extra time to enjoy a second drink since we didn't have to clean off our car windshield.

And Rum Cake for breakfast!

ladies, I am trying to talk my wife into a short page boy style haircut. If she doesn't like it, it will grow out. But in the mean time, I will not have to listen to her bitc... Um, I mean discuss the humidity and her hair...

Any thoughts???