Coconut Shrimp

Coconut shrimp is a favorite of mine, and pretty easy to make.  Cleaned, raw shrimp are dredged in flour, egg wash and a Panko bread crumb-coconut mix, then fried or baked.  I added some homemade Ethiopian seasoning to the eggs, for a little extra flavor.

You can serve coconut shrimp as an appetizer or with rice as a main dish. We had the shrimp last night with rice, carrots and lamb shanks as a sort of surf and turf dinner.

At a recent class, I was using desiccated coconut in a dessert. I was asked a lot of questions about it. This is not the coarsely shredded sweetened version you will find at the local grocery store. Desiccated coconut looks like white bread crumbs. That is the coconut used in this dish.

Here is my recipe for coconut shrimp. You don’t need a special occasion to make it, but it makes any occasion special.

Coconut Shrimp

1/4 -2 cups oil – depending on if you are frying or baking them
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut- often found in Asian grocery stores or in candy making stores
1 pound  shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1-2 t. Ethiopian seasoning, or to taste, recipe follows
Frying method: In a large bowl, combine Panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut; set aside. Combine eggs with Ethiopian seasoning, set aside. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste. Working one at a time, dredge shrimp in the flour, dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the coconut mixture, pressing to coat. Set aside until all the shrimp are breaded. Heat 2 c. oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Working in batches, add shrimp to the Dutch oven and fry until evenly golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately,with sweet chili sauce, if desired. Serves 4.

Baking Method: In a large bowl, combine Panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut; set aside. Combine eggs with Ethiopian seasoning, set aside. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste. Working one at a time, dredge shrimp in the flour, dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the coconut mixture, pressing to coat. Set aside until all the shrimp are breaded. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Using about 1/4 cup of oil, brush oil on a baking sheet , place shrimp on the oiled sheet, then drizzle shrimp with a little more oil. Bake shrimp 10 minutes, then turn shrimp over and bake 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Serves 4.

Ethiopian Seasoning

1 T. paprika

1 t. each cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder and ginger

½ t. allspice

¼ t. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients. Store in a cool, dry place.