Shrimp & potato cakes

Name: Shrimp & potato cakes
Total time: 50 min
Yield: About 12 finger-sized cakes
Ingredients: 1 medium potato; 200 g (7 oz) peeled raw shrimp; 1 egg; 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

Soft, finger-shaped cakes of finely minced cooked shrimp and mashed potato, held together with egg and baked. Contains shellfish and egg: shrimp should be the only new food, so offer egg and potato on their own first. Once your baby has had shrimp without a reaction, keep shellfish in their diet regularly.

From: 6 months
Time: 50 min
Makes: About 12 finger-sized cakes

Contains shellfishContains egg

Ingredients

1 mediumpotatoabout 250 g (9 oz)
200 g (7 oz)peeled raw shrimpweighed after peeling; thawed in the fridge if frozen; choose shrimp with nothing added (check the label for salt)
1egg
1 tbspvegetable or olive oilfor the tray

Steps

1Wash your hands. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Scrub the potato under running water, peel it and cut it into chunks. Boil or steam for about 15 minutes, until very soft, then drain and mash. Don't add salt.
2If the shrimp still have their shells, peel them, removing the whole shell and tail, and pull out the dark vein along the back. Wash your hands, board and knife with soap and hot water after handling raw shrimp.
3Simmer the shrimp in water for 2 to 3 minutes, until the flesh is firm, pearly and opaque, or 145°F (63°C). Cut the thickest one in half to check there's no grey, see-through center.
4Let the shrimp cool, then mince them very finely with a knife or a food processor, so no springy pieces are left.
5Beat the egg and mix it with the mashed potato and minced shrimp. Don't taste the mixture: it contains raw egg. Wash your hands after handling raw egg.
6Brush a lined baking tray with the oil. Shape the mixture into fingers about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in). Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning them gently halfway, until set all the way through, with no wet mixture in the middle. If you use a food thermometer, the center should reach 160°F (71°C).
7Let the cakes cool on the tray. Break one open and squash the middle between your thumb and finger: it should flatten easily. Trim any crisp edges and check they're only just warm before serving.

How to serve it by age

6 months+

Pick a day your baby is well, at home, when you can watch them for a couple of hours afterward. Start small: offer about a third of one cake the first time, to hold and gnaw. If there's no reaction, offer more next time, such as one or two whole cakes.

9 months+

Break cakes into pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) for pincer-grasp practice, or keep offering whole soft cakes to bite.

12 months+

Serve whole cakes or bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) with soft-cooked vegetables, as part of the family meal.

Where US and UK guidance differ on this recipe

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The CDC lists shellfish among the allergenic foods to introduce when you introduce other foods. The AAP says to talk to your pediatrician first if your baby has severe, persistent eczema or has had an allergic reaction to a food.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

In the UK, shrimp are usually called prawns. The NHS says not to serve shellfish raw or lightly cooked, and to talk to your GP or health visitor first if your baby has eczema or a food allergy, or there's a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

If your baby reacts

This recipe contains shellfish, egg. Introduce one new allergen at a time, mixed into a food your baby already eats, before serving it in a dish with other new foods. Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if you notice mild signs after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Leftovers and the rest of the family

Storing it

Keep raw shrimp in the fridge and cook it within 2 days, or freeze it. Cool leftover cakes quickly and keep them in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 1 to 2 months (freeze them in a single layer, then pack them together once frozen). Reheat only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), then let them cool before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl. Don't leave the cakes at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F (32°C).

For the grown-ups

Shape your baby's cakes first, then season the rest of the mixture with salt, pepper, lemon zest or a little chili and shape larger cakes for the adults.