Cayman Rum Punch and Coconut Shrimp Fritters…

 

 

I haven’t shared a recipe in awhile and since it’s been so insanely hot, I thought today would be a perfect day to post my favorite recipe for Cayman Rum Punch, which is a “copy cat” recipe of the famous Tortuga Rum Punch.  We need a little something to go with it, so I’m also sharing this delicious recipe for Coconut Shrimp Fritters:

 

 

After a trip to the Cayman Islands many moons ago, I came home obsessed with trying to recreate the amazing Tortuga Rum Punch that I experienced. If you’ve ever been to the Cayman’s, you know that you cannot go anywhere on the island without being handed a glass of Rum Punch and most likely, it’s Tortuga.  It’s the signature way the Cayman’s welcome visitors, and what a welcoming it is!

I have had many variations of rum punch but nothing has ever come close to the world famous Tortuga brand:

 

 

My friend Allyson, who also loves Tortuga Rum Punch, gave me a can of it several years ago and that was all I needed to dissect the tastes and come up with a copy cat recipe that tastes very close to the real thing.

So let’s get to it!

Cayman Rum Punch

Jumex fruit juices/ nectars are the secret weapon to the Cayman Rum Punch:

 

 

Most of the grocery stores in the South carry Jumex juices/nectars in the can.  It’s usually not in the juice section but rather in the section with drinks and food products from Mexico.  I’m not sure about other the availability of Jumex in other places but if you can’t get Jumex, see if you can find mango, guava and strawberry banana juice/nectars in another brand. You can also order Jumex online by the case here at Amazon. Each can of Jumex is 11.3 ounces. By the way, kid’s love these tropical juices too!

Here’s the recipe (Makes a little over 2 Quarts):

1 11.3 oz Can Jumex Mango Nectar
1 11.3 oz Can Jumex Guava Nectar
1 11.3 oz Can Jumex Strawberry-Banana Nectar
6 oz of Pineapple Juice (equals one small can)
12 oz of Bacardi Rum (not the dark)
6 oz of Orange Juice
6 oz of Cranberry Juice
6 oz of water
2 limes cut and juice squeezed into the mix

Mix all of the juices and rum together and cut and squeeze the limes into the mix.  Most rum punch recipes have bitters in them, but I use the cranberry to cut the sweetness of the juices and it also adds the pinkish color. The addition of a little water also helps cut the sweetness. Serve over ice:

 

 

Ok, let’s go on to the yummy Coconut Shrimp Fritters!

Coconut Shrimp Fritters

If you like coconut and shrimp, you’ll love these delicious little fritters!  I have to tell you, I tried everything I could to figure out a way to avoid frying these but I just couldn’t make it work baking them.  Sorry, but there are just some things that are best fried. I use Martha White’s Hush Puppy Mix (onion flavor), which makes this recipe so easy and gives the fritter the breaded consistency:

 

Here’s the recipe (makes about 25-35 fritters depending on how large you make them):

-1 package Martha White Hush Puppy Mix (onion flavored)
-2 Cups Shredded Coconut
-30 Small-Medium Raw Shrimp (remove shell) and dice raw shrimp into small pieces
-1-1/2 Cups of Grated Jalapeno Jack Cheese
-2-1/2 Cups Vegetable Oil

Mix the hush puppy mix according to directions. Add the coconut, shrimp and grated cheese and mix together. Heat oil in medium size pan. Using a tablespoon, scoop out mix and use hand to form into either balls or oval fritters. Place onto tray. When oil is hot enough, using tongs or a slotted spoon, gently lower into the oil. Turn over after a couple minutes and cook until the fritters are golden brown. Remove and place on a plate with paper towels to remove any excess oil.

For dipping sauce, I use pineapple marmalade or any tropical fruit marmalade found in the jelly/jam section of the grocery store. This is a great basic fritter recipe, so you can adjust ingredients to your liking.

 

 

 

I hope these two recipes get you in the island frame of mind since we already have the island heat!  At least we can trick ourselves with some tropical rum punch to feel like we’re in the Caribbean, right?  Ok, well maybe not but it sure helps cool us down!

Have a wonderful rest of the week and by the way, we have been having some fun discussions about paint, paint colors and fashion on The Creativity Exchange’s Facebook Page here if you’ve missed them. I’ll be back as always for Friday Favorites.  If you missed last week’s Friday Favorites, “Favorite Painting Tips”, you can get to it by clicking the picture below:

Cheers!!

Cyndy