Friday

Crispy Coconut Shrimp with Marmalade-Mustard Dipping Sauce






When it's rainy and chilly sometimes I crave something sort of tropical tasting ~ good old Coconut Shrimp fits the craving and this is my very favorite way of making them. Deliciously crispy and crunchy, they are almost addictive.

Superior to the restaurant version, best of all you can make (eat!) as many as you want at a fraction of the cost.



They make spectacular party appetizers with a tropical drink.


Serve them with any dipping sauce you prefer, but I hope you'll try this one. It's my all time favorite for Coconut Shrimp. You don't have to add the mustard seeds to the dipping sauce, but I never make this without them, they add a spicy little pop of flavor and textural interest.

If you've had problems in the past with the coconut not adhering to the shrimp, try chilling before frying as described below. I think you'll be surprised at how well this works. Added bonus: By chilling first, you can assemble ahead and just fry them before serving making these managable for entertaining (but make sure to make plenty!)


Crispy Coconut Shrimp * with Marmalade -Mustard Dipping Sauce
6 Servings (More like 3 servings at my house)

1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup beer
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
additional 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (you may need more)
2 cups flaked coconut (Sometimes you need more than this, so have extra on hand)
About 20 to 26 or so shrimp (depending upon size), raw, peeled, with tail left on
3 cups oil for deep frying (I use a small electric fryer, but you can fry these stove top, too.)

Method:
Preparation-

  • Line a shallow rimmed baking pan with a piece of waxed paper, set aside. (Or use 2 smaller trays, you will need to fit these inside your refrigerator for chilling)
  • Paper towels for draining any excess oil from cooked shrimp.
  • Make the dipping sauce & refrigerate

To prepare the shrimp for frying:
In medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, beer and baking powder.
Place 1/2 cup flour in a shallow container
Place the coconut in a separate shallow container

Holding shrimp by tail, dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg/beer batter; allow excess to drip off. Roll & press the shrimp in the coconut, then place in a single layer, not touching each other, on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours. Chilling is crucial to assure the coconut stays on the shrimp during frying.

Secrets for the best results:
You will get the very best results if you allow the shrimp to chill for about 15 to 20 minutes after coating them in the batter & coconut, then remove shrimp from fridge and press the batter/coconut to the shrimp with your fingers to encourage it to stick to the shrimp, then put the tray(s) back into the refrigerator and continue chilling for at least an additional 20 minutes until you are ready to fry them.


When ready to fry:

Heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a deep-fryer, or in a deep pot on the stove top using a deep fat thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil.

Fry shrimp in SMALL batches (coconut burns easily), by cooking in small batches you can monitor more closely.

Fry them, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.

Using tongs or wire strainer, remove shrimp to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with dipping sauce.

* Just a note:

If you omit the coconut this recipe makes a top notch version of Chinese-Style Fried Prawns as served in Chinese-American restaurants.

To make: Simply dip the raw shrimp in flour, shake off excess, dip in the batter allowing excess to drip off, then fry in the hot oil. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Yum, yum!


Orange Marmalade-Mustard Dipping Sauce
Makes about 1/2 cup

1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon good-quality prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds (In the Herb/Spice aisle)

Mix all in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until serving time. Can be made well ahead of time.




11 comments:

  1. I have made this of yours and we loved it!

    Pretty w/ the drink and blooms mary!

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  2. Thank you Monique... Waving a big Bonjour!!!
    Of course I'm thinking of you as I post these photos. :)

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  3. I love coconut shrimp. I like your recipe better than mine so I'm giving it a try. Oh Yummy, I can taste them now!!

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  4. Mari...you are just killing me this week with all of your beautiful seafood...
    I can not wait to make this one!
    Just magnificent....It is a rainy,dark and chilly day here...you made me feel like I just took a little trip to the tropics!
    Thanks!
    L:*

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  5. Great photos and I really love all of them - but the flower at the end is over the top. I will definitely have to try this shrimp and dip because I LOVE coconut shrimp.

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  6. Oh yum! Coconut Shrimp is one of my favorites . . but I have yet to make it at home . . . did you use sweetened coconut to coat?

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  7. Oh Mary, I've always loved the coconut shrimp they serve at Outback. Yours looks over the top scrumptious and I'll bet it beats theirs, hands down.

    Can't wait to give them a try and thank you! ~Janine

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you ladies! If you make them, I hope you like them, too.

    Janine, I think Outbacks' are really good, too. I know we've talked about McGrath's Seafood before, [it's a small seafood chain for those not familiar with it], their's are pretty good too. It was actually a waiter there who gave me the proportions for the sauce. :)

    Thanks for stopping by everyone!

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  9. Mari,

    In your comment about how to get the best results, are you first coating just in flour and chilling before coating again in batter and coconut or are you coating them completely and just adhering any coconut that fell off. Sorry, this wasn't clear to me.

    Cheri

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  10. pass me a cocktail please, and bring one over to my blog, i got a little something for you.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Cheri, nice to 'see' you!

    Sorry I didn't make that more clear.

    Yes, you completely coat in the batter (as if you were going to fry them right away), but instead allow them to chill a while. (It allows the batter and coconut to relax a little.) Then go back over them and gently press the coconut and batter into the shrimp once again and continue chilling until ready to fry.

    I have done it without chilling (or re-pressing the coconut/batter), but sometimes much of the coconut fries off into the hot oil. This method works a little more effectively for me.

    Oh, and I did forget to mention that I use sweetened coconut, just because that is more readily available here but I see no reason why you couldn't use unsweetened coconut.

    Hope this helps!

    Hey Jain... I'm heading over now. :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments, friends ~ they make my day!

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