Crispy Golden Goodness
Panko Coconut Shrimp
This is an easy dish to prepare at home and is less expensive and tastier than take out! These shrimp are incredibly crispy with a delightful coconut flavour. The Sriracha Dipping Sauce compliments the Panko Coconut Shrimp nicely giving them a touch of heat. This dish is an excellent party appetizer or main course that can be served alongside vegetables, salad or rice. For extra spicy shrimp, add some cayenne pepper to the coconut mixture. If you prefer less sugar, use unsweetened coconut instead. Use whatever cooking oil you prefer, however, avocado oil has the highest smoke point among cooking oils, making it a healthy and safe alternative.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup avocado oil for frying
1 (340 g) bag, defrosted, raw, peeled (tails on), deveined shrimp
¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste
1 large Ontario egg, beaten
¾ cup Panko Japanese style breadcrumbs
½ cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
lemon wedges as garnish
SRIRACHA DIPPING SAUCE
½ cup Greek yogourt
3 tablespoon olive oil mayonnaise
2 tablespoon Sriracha hot chili sauce
In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oil in a deep fry pan to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine Panko bread crumbs, shredded coconut, garlic powder and paprika.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Place flour in a plastic produce bag or zip lock bag. Add shrimp to bag, tossing to make sure they are completely coated. Shake off any excess flour from shrimp.
Working in batches, dip the floured shrimp in egg, then the coconut mixture and patting them down to make sure each shrimp is well coated.
Continue working in batches, gently drop shrimp in oil and fry until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 2-3 min. Be careful not to overcook.
Remove shrimp with tongs and transfer to a sheet of brown paper bag that has been torn to fit your platter. (I find this works better than paper towel in keeping fried foods crispy). Remove paper once oil has drained from shrimp, serve with lemon wedges and Sriracha Dipping Sauce. Serve immediately. These shrimp can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated, however, it is best to fry them just before serving.
