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shrimp, vegetable oil, sesame oil, Panko crumbs, shredded coconut, red pepper flakes, baking powder, egg, rice wine vinegar, pineapple juice, honey, ketchup, cornstarch
Category
Finger Foods
Cook Time
10 minutes
Coconut and shrimp. It’s a tropical, vacation-reminiscent bite that is both succulent and crunchy. What’s not to love?!
A party-stopping favorite, these two foods come together quickly (and in a majorly delicious way, if we don’t say so ourselves). Turns out, they also disappear even faster.
Ingredients
1 pound medium–large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined and patted dry
Vegetable oil, for frying
Sesame oil, for frying (2 parts veggie, 1 part sesame)
1 cup Panko crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup water
1 egg
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
½ cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons ketchup
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
For Shrimp
For Sauce
Directions
Combine the vegetable oil and sesame oil (2 parts vegetable, 1 part sesame) for frying.
Heat 2–3 inches of the oil combination to 325 degrees F. (If you don’t have a thermometer, don’t fret. You can heat the oil over medium heat and keep an eye on it. If it starts to smoke at all, it’s too hot. You want to heat the oil to just before that smoke point. If the oil starts to smoke, lower the heat just a tad).
While the oil heats, prep the shrimp. Start by combining the panko crumbs, red pepper flakes, and coconut in a wide bowl or deep dish. Set aside. In another large bowl, combine the baking powder, egg, salt, and the water. Whisk together.
Dip the shrimp one at a time in the egg mixture and then dredge in the panko mix.
Fry the shrimp in the hot oil for 1–2 minutes, or until golden brown.
To make the dipping sauce, first combine the vinegar and cornstarch in a small saucepan and whisk, while cooking over medium-low heat.
Then, add all the other ingredients to the saucepan and whisk together briefly.
Bring the mixture up to a quick boil. You will see the mixture seemingly start to shrink down. That’s the cornstarch congealing the mixture. Then lower the mixture to low heat and let sit for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve and enjoy!