IT'S ALL IN THE PLATING!

A friend yesterday was told to shut up because he wasn't Singaporean. Well, he is. Born there, raised there, did his national service. So, in S'Pore, he can open his mouth.
Which, of course, explains why I talk smack about the United States all the time. I was born in California, and have been a citizen all my life. My earliest American ancestors arrived here in 1630. Some more arrived in 1671. Another bunch in the seventeen hundreds. There are people who fought in the revolutionary war, people who served in the Union armies, WWI and WWII, on both sides. So even though I'm as foreign as they come, what with my spikes, tail, regenerative organs that glow in the dark, and queer accent, I'm an American.
Good luck shutting me the hell up.


The festive dish below is ALSO 100% American.
There's nothing Singaporean about it.
Not even remotely.

Shrimp Singapore

4 firm bananas
Melted butter or margarine
Salt
1 pound fresh shrimp, cleaned and cooked
2 cups hot cooked rice

Set oven for moderately hot, 375°, and grease a shallow baking dish. Peel bananas; cut in half, crosswise, and arrange in the dish. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until bananas are fork tender. Meanwhile, place shrimp in the top of a double boiler; heat over hot water. When hot, place shrimp on a bed of cooked rice and arrange cooked bananas around edge. Pour part of the Curry Sauce on top; serve remainder on the side. Makes 4 servings

Curry Sauce
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 cups hot chicken consommé or stock

Melt butter or margarine in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Add flour, curry powder, salt and pepper and stir until smooth. Slowly stir in hot consommé or stock. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is smooth and thickened. Makes 3 cups sauce.

NOTE: Chicken bouillon may be substituted for the chicken consommé. Omit salt from the recipe and dissolve 2 chicken bouillon cubes in 2 1/2 cups boiling water.


This dish redefines celebratory yum-yum.


I fondly imagine an entire generation of suburbanites feasting on this, and dreamily imagining themselves in tropical climes. They probably didn't know what sambal was, and couldn't find Singapore on a map, but never mind. Anything that combines bananas and shrimp, with curry sauce, and rice, is deliciously exotic.

Please note: A totally vegan version can be made with Spam instead of shrimp, substituting vegetable broth for the chicken stock. And don't forget to add canned pineapple slices for that little something extra.



Recipe stolen from Questionable Vintage Recipes on Facebook.




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