Four recipes for your UAE World Cup party

As the World Cup semi-finals approach, the crowds will come out in full force to watch their favourite teams compete. As it gets harder to find a seat at your favourite eatery to watch the games, it may be better to watch the games from home. Turn on the biggest TV you have, invite your football-loving friends and serve up these easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing recipes

Coconut shrimp

Danny Kattar, executive chef, InterContinental Abu Dhabi: “This dish has a very nice Caribbean flavour, which provides a nice contrast to the shrimp, while the peanut sauce gives a beautiful kick to the sweetness of the dish. It’s easy to prepare, extremely tasty and offers a creative twist to impress your guests.”

Ingredients

24 shrimps

1 egg

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup non-alcoholic beer

1½ tsp baking powder

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (additional to above)

2 cups flaked coconut

3 cups oil for frying

For the peanut sauce

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

4½ tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 medium garlic clove, mashed to a paste

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Method

For the shrimps

• In a medium bowl, combine the egg, 1/2 cup flour, non-alcoholic beer and baking powder. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls.

• Hold shrimp by the tail, and dredge in flour. Dip in egg/beer batter, allowing excess to drip off.

• Roll shrimp in coconut, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

• Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

• Heat oil to 180°C and fry shrimp in batches until golden brown.

For the peanut sauce

• Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use. Whisk again before serving.

Prawn toast and sweet chilli sauce

Lorraine Sinclair, executive chef, Fairmont Dubai: “It’s different than the typical small bites that you would associate with sporting events. It’s easy to put together and doesn’t require hours of preparation or execution. This dish can stand its ground among fast-food-type bites.”

Ingredients (serves 10)

1kg tiger prawns (cleaned/deveined)

4 garlic cloves (grated)

1 thumb of fresh ginger (grated)

15g sugar

10g shrimp paste

2 whole eggs (beaten)

2 egg whites

10ml sesame oil

4 spring onions

10 slices white bread (stale)

120g panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1l vegetable oil (deep frying)

8g salt

For the Sweet Chilli Sauce

8 red chillies

8 garlic cloves

100ml rice vinegar

200g castor sugar

30g mayonnaise

15g salt

Method

• In a blender, place the prawns, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, egg whites and oil. Purée and stir in the onions.

• Remove the crusts from the bread and evenly spread the mixture over each slice.

• Place the panko crumbs in one bowl and the beaten eggs in another bowl. Dip each slice in the beaten egg mixture, taking care not to spill the prawn mixture, and transfer the slice to the panko crumbs and coat evenly. Remove any excess crumbs by gently shaking the bread.

• Deep fry in clean vegetable oil until golden brown.

• Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the sweet chilli sauce.

For the sweet chilli sauce

• Purée all ingredients in a small ­blender until smooth. Check for the ­balance of sweet, sour and hot.

Nachos with guacamole, salsa and sour cream

Paul Lupton, chef de cuisine, Rhodes 44, Abu Dhabi: “This is my guilty pleasure! The nachos are my own take on the cinema classic. They are easy to share with friends and take minutes to make up. It’s great being able to pass around food that all my friends are going to enjoy.”

Ingredients for guacamole

2 ripe avocados, peeled, halved and stoned

Juice of 1 lime

2 shallots or 1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 fresh green chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

salt and pepper

Method

• Chop the avocado and mix in the lime juice. Add all remaining ingredients and mix together. Pass through drum sieve and season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients for salsa

6 plum tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 medium red onion, very finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Small splash of white vinegar

Squeeze of lime juice

Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Mix all ingredients and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

• Guests can assemble their own plate of nachos. Start with a plate of tortilla chips and top with the guacamole and salsa.

• Offer additional toppings such as cheese sauce, sliced jalapeño peppers, sour cream and chopped coriander.

Peri-peri chicken wings

Babuji Panicker, head chef, Wavebreaker Beach Bar & Grill, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort: “The delicious sweet, sticky peri-peri chicken wings are the perfect accompaniment for every World Cup game. The spicy peri-peri flavour is universally popular and most importantly for busy football fans, the wings are quick and easy to prepare. This dish is sure to impress.”

Ingredients (serves 4)

1/2kg chicken wings

240ml peri-peri sauce (buy it or make your own)

240g French fries (optional)

Salt and pepper

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.

• Marinate the chicken wings in the peri-peri sauce, sprinkle with salt and pepper and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

• Place the marinated chicken wings in a tray in the oven and cook for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked throughout and the sauce caramelises.

• Serve with French fries.

sjohnson@thenational.ae