Coconut Shrimp with Strawberry Mango Salsa

Have you ever ordered Coconut Shrimp at a restaurant? Well these are waaaay better! A few weeks ago I made Coconut Shrimp with Strawberry Mango Salsa and it was amazing. The only problem was that I forgot to take pictures. Not even one.

Coconut Shrimp with Strawberry Mango Salsa and Sweet Chili Sauce

So I was forced, alas poor me, to make it again for a photo shoot. And then we just HAD to eat it for dinner. Again. Poor us. Insert Steve’s face with grin from ear to ear. Coconut Shrimp was one of the hors d’oeuvre we used to serve when we had our catering business Affairs to Remember Catering. But we used much smaller shrimp so they were more manageable to pass on trays. And I don’t think I have made them since. And we’ve been closed since early 2006.

Coconut Shrimp with Strawberry Mango Salsa

Butterflying the shrimp for my Coconut Shrimp with Strawberry Mango Salsa

Breading station all set up!

The cast of characters for the Strawberry Mango Salsa

In my dinner version I used rather large shrimp that were 15-17 per pound and after peeling and deveining them I butterflied them so there would be even more surface to coat in panko crunchy coconut goodness. Next I prepped the salsa so the flavors had time to meld and it would be ready to accompany the hot fried shrimp.

First a swim in seasoned egg and then a dip for a bath of coconut and panko.

Fry the coated shrimp in hot oil until the first side is golden brown.

Second side fried to a perfect golden brown!

Then after seasoning then liberally with kosher salt and coarse black pepper I dipped them first into an egg wash, then into the seasoned coconut/panko/cornstarch and into the hot oil in my trusty cast iron skillet. After frying the shrimp for a couple of minutes on the first side to a beautiful golden brown, I flipped them over to finish cooking. And then removed them to a cooling rack covered with a couple of layers of paper toweling to absorb any excess oil.

Coconut Shrimp with Strawberry Mango Salsa and Sweet Chili Sauce

I don’t know about you, but Steve and I like to dip or shrimp into some kind of sauce. So I pulled a rabbit out of my hat. Well it was actually a bottle out of my fridge. I always have a bottle of Sweet Chili Sauce hangin’ out inside my fridge door. Sometimes I use it as an ingredient to create a new sauce but in this case it was just perfect on its own. A little bit sweet, a little bit spicy and the ideal enhancement to those crunchy succulent shrimp.

What is your favorite sauce for dipping your shrimp?

Coconut Shrimp with Strawberry Mango Salsa

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Extra crunchy coconut yumminess make these shrimp addictively good. And the tart/sweet fruity Strawberry Mango Salsa will have you whisked away in your mind to a tropical island paradise!

• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the shrimp:

24 jumbo shrimp (15-17/pound), peeled, deveined and tails removed

3 large eggs

3/4 cup Panko

3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup cornstarch

Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Canola oil for frying

For the salsa:

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and pit removed

10 large ripe strawberries, hulled

10 mini bell peppers, seeded

2 medium shallots, peeled

grated zest and juice of 2 limes

2 Tablespoons canola oil

Coarse sea salt to taste

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Instructions

For the salsa:

Dice the mangoes, strawberries, peppers and shallots and place in a large bowl. Add the lime zest and juice, the canola oil and a pinch of sea salt. Stir to mix all of the ingredients together. Taste and adjust salt to your liking. Transfer to a serving bowl and allow to sit at room temperature while you prepare the shrimp.

For the shrimp:

1. Butterfly the shrimp by carefully slicing down the back almost, but not quite, all the way through and spread open. Season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Set up your breading station by whisking the eggs, olive oil, salt and pepper in one shallow bowl. And in another shallow bowl mix together the panko, coconut, cornstarch, salt and pepper.
3. Heat about 1-inch of canola oil in a large heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium/high heat until shimmering.
4. Meanwhile dip the shrimp in the egg wash. Let the excess drain off and place in the panko/coconut mixture to coat completely. Place shrimp in the hot oil to fry. Be careful not to crowd the pan. You may have to fry them in batches.
5. Fry the shrimp for about 2-3 minutes until they are golden brown on the bottom. Carefully turn them over and cook the second side for another 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp allowing the excess oil to drip off and place on a paper towel lined cooking rack or plate. Continue dipping and frying until all of the shrimp are cooked.
6. Divide among 4 plates and serve with the salsa.

Notes

I like these with Iron Chef Sweet Chili Sauce but that is purely optional.

• Author: Sandy Axelrod
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Seafood/Dinner
• Method: Frying
• Cuisine: Polynesian

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