I know it must seem as if the Messy Kitchen has been empty lately… and I suppose it sort of has. It’s summer and I’m never home. We recently got back from a trip to Florida, which is actually where I picked up the inspiration to make this dish. Coconut shrimp is one of Courtney’s favorites, and on several occasions he’s told me the story of visiting the Keys with his family as a kid and ordering coconut fried shrimp every single night. Well, this trip he only had it once, but it was stinkin’ amazing. Like dessert for dinner. So I decided I’d recreate it at home.
My version is more spicy than sweet. It’s also a lighter, baked version since I don’t have a deep fryer (thank goodness). The shrimp was good, although I don’t know that I would deem it worth the work. It’s jump roping the crazy/hot line. However the mango-ginger sauce was just pure hot. I can’t wait to figure out what to do with the rest of it!
Coconut Macadamia Baked Shrimp with Mango-Ginger Dipping Sauce
For Shrimp:
- 1 pound raw shimp, peeled with tails on
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened organic coconut, finely shredded
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 tsp cayenne powder
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the shrimp under a cold bath of water.
- Combine coconut, crushed nuts, salt and cayenne in a bowl. Put egg whites and corn starch in two separate bowls.
- Dip each shrimp in cornstarch, then egg white, and finally coconut mixture. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the coconut is golden brown and the shrimp is pink cooked through.
For Dipping Sauce:
- 1 mango, peeled and cored
- 1 medium jalapeno, deseeded
- 3 small cloves garlic
- Thumb size piece of fresh ginger
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp agave nectar
- pinch cardamom and cinnamon
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