ISO: Saltgrass Steak House Range Rattlers (shrimp-stuffed jalapeno peppers)

SALTGRASS RANGE RATTLERS

Large jalapeno peppers
Jumbo shrimp
A handful of cilantro leaves
Monterey jack cheese
FOR THE BATTER:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon powdered garlic
1/2 cup beer (more, as needed)
Oil (for deep frying)
Sour cream or ranch type dressing (for serving)

Use two large jalapenos (3-4 inches long, inch or so in diameter- big ones) per person. Blanch the peppers in boiling water for about a minute. Trim stem end off the peppers, split each down one side and remove seeds and as much veining as possible without further splitting the pepper.

For each pepper, peel (except for tail) and devein a jumbo shrimp. The shrimp will have a tendency to curl up upon cooking so defeat this by making a series of lateral cuts along the curved belly of the shrimp. Impale each on a bamboo skewer so that you have straightened the shrimp from head to tail. Steam for a few minutes (until opaque) over an inch of boiling water in a skillet. Take the skewer out of your now straight shrimp.

Meanwhile, chop a handful of cilantro leaves finely and mix with coarsely crumbled Monterey jack. If you prefer, you may pulse the leaves and the cheese in a food processor until you have a mixture you can form in a layer around each shrimp. Push the cheese wrapped shrimp into the cavity in each pepper, allowing the tail to remain outside the pepper, and stuff with more cheese until the cavity is bulging full.

Mix flour, salt, garlic, and 1/2 cup beer in a mixing bowl, blending with a wire whip until smooth. Add more beer (into the batter!) until the mixture has the consistency of pancake batter.

Heat three inches of oil in small saucepan until haze forms (not smoking). Dip and drench each pepper in the batter and lower quickly but neatly into the hot oil. When golden brown, remove to drain on absorbent paper.

Serve hot with a sour cream or ranch type dressing.