Shrimp Wrapped in Crispy Filo
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A delicious appetizer that can be assembled ahead of time and you can then cook in minutes! Pairs great with garlic aioli sauce!
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 4 sheets of filo, thawed overnight in the refrigerator (I used Fillo Factory #7)
  • 24 large, cooked shrimp, shelled and deveined, with tails on
  • 1 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large garlic cloves, grated
  • lemon zest from ½ lemon
  • ¼ tsp. paprika
  • ¼ tsp. chili powder
  • ½ tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1 TBSP. fresh thyme leaves, minced
  • olive oil for the filo and for shallow frying
  • 1 egg white (optional, for sealing the filo)
  • --- lemon slices to serve
Instructions
  1. Remove the filo from the refrigerator. Remove the filo dough from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before using it and allow it to come to room temperature in its box. Wrap well the remaining filo and return it to the refrigerator.
  2. Prepare the marinade. Mix the 1 TBSP. of olive oil, grated garlic, lemon zest, paprika, chili powder, salt, and thyme in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Pat the shrimp to dry it with paper towels and then fold them int0 the marinade. Set the shrimp aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
  3. Score the shrimp. Score the underside of each shrimp in two to three places with a sharp knife. This will help the shrimp stay straighter and make it easier to wrap them in the filo.
  4. Cut the filo sheets. Cut the filo sheets into about 4" squares with a sharp knife and stack them all in a pile.
  5. Wrap the filo around the shrimp. Cut each square diagonally into two triangles. Brush each triangle with some olive oil and place the shrimp in the middle, leaving the tail outside the base of the filo triangle. Fold one corner of each filo triangle over a shrimp (see photo). When you reach the middle of the triangle, fold down the top corner, then continue to roll the shrimp up in the filo. Seal that final corner with some beaten egg white.
  6. Cook the shrimp. When you have wrapped the rest of the shrimp in filo, it is time to cook them. Place a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and add some olive to a depth of about ¼". When the oil gets hot, shallow fry the shrimp in batches, for about 1 minute on each side, or, until the filo turns golden brown.
  7. Remove from the skillet. Remove the shrimp from the oil with a slotted spoon, then place them on a rack to dry to allow any extra oil to drip off.
  8. Serve. Sprinkle some salt over the hot shrimp, squeeze some lemon juice (if desired) and enjoy! The shrimp pairs very well with a spicy garlic aioli, which you can make ahead of time!
Notes
--- For this recipe we use plain cooked shrimp because raw shrimp would require a longer cooking time, which would burn the delicate filo pastry.
--- You can easily defrost your frozen cooked shrimp by submerging the sealed bag with the shrimp in a bowl filled with cold water. Change the water a couple of times, until the shrimp feels soft. This will take about 20 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp.

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Recipe by Marilena's Kitchen at https://marilenaskitchen.com/filo-wrapped-shrimp-with-garlic-aioli/