When I first moved to the North East, I was not a seafood fan. I came from a land locked state where seafood was few and far in between and didn’t grow up eating it. It’s pretty hard to escape it here, though so I’ve learned to embrace it.
While I still can’t eat mussels or clams, shrimp is an easy seafood for beginners that I can stomach. When it’s cooked right, I love it. I recently tried coconut shrimp for the first time and have been ordering it at restaurants any time I see it on the menu. I always wanted to try to make it myself but thought it would be really complicated.
This recipe is actually very easy – so much easier than I thought. If you have a little extra time for dinner, it’s a manageable dish to make for a weeknight.
Ingredients:
Shrimp
- 1 pound small shrimp, fresh or frozen, deveined and de-tailed*
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup breadcrumbs, any style
- 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened)
- salt & pepper
- coconut oil*
Spicy Pineapple Peach Sauce
- 2 pineapple slices w/juice
- 1 peach, diced
- a few dashes of red pepper
- black pepper
Note: you can use jumbo shrimp or shrimp with tails. It just won’t be popcorn style. Coconut oil enhances the coconut flavor and is a great cooking oil that doesn’t burn quickly. Any oil can be used, though.
Directions:
1. If shrimp is not deveined, devein first. Place shrimp in strainer bowl and rinse. Set aside.
2. Set up 3 bowls to dip shrimp in: one with flour, breadcrumbs & coconut, and the eggs beaten. Add salt and pepper to the flour bowl.
3. Coat shrimp in flour, then dip in egg, and gently place in coconut/breadcrumb bowl. Cover shrimp with the mixture to coat. You can do several shrimp at a time if using the smaller kind.
4. Place coated shrimp on a plate, ready to be fried. Heat coconut oil in pan for a few minutes before frying first batch.
5. Only fry a few at a time (7-10 at most). Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. While frying the shrimp, start coating more shrimp with the batter.
6. Place fried, cooked shrimp on a plate with a paper towel under it to absorb excess oil. Place into a heated toaster oven or conventional oven until served. When the oil starts to look brown or has large chunks in it, pour it in a bowl and start over with new oil.
7. Continue frying until all shrimp are done. Try not to eat them all as you cook them 
8. To make the sauce: dice the pineapple and peach, add spices, and some pineapple juice to make it a little thinner. Put mixture in a food processor or blender for 30 seconds until smooth.
Serve shrimp with sauce and grilled pineapple and peaches if desired.
Yummy! We had this a few nights ago and I scared it all down. I can’t wait to make it again 
Questions for You:
- Do you like shrimp and/or seafood?
- What are your favorite recipes that seem hard to make but really aren’t?
