I have been thinking about coconut shrimp lately. I love coconut. I love shrimp. I loooooove anything deep fried. They are all perfectly married in this recipe.

These shrimp have a light and crunchy coating that is the perfect ratio of coconut and breadcrumbs to tender shrimp. (I like a real “crunch”) An then for the sauce I wanted something sweet and spicy. Since I had a mango, (and I never have mangos) I thought that would be a really nice compliment to the tropical vibe of the coconut shrimp.

I dished these up, piping hot to some friends as an appetizer tonight, and they were cleared pretty quickly! Fun, flavorful (and very easy!) appetizer- enjoy!

Coconut Shrimp
(adapted from Renee Julia’s Coconut Shrimp)

1lb shrimp (31-41ct), peeled with tail on
2 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
½ cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup coconut, shredded and sweetened
½ cup panko bread crumbs

1 qt of vegetable oil

Start to heat the vegetable oil using a clip on thermometer.

Rinse and drain the shrimp.

Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail on.

Line up all of the coating toppings, the coconut/panko mixture, the flour and the eggs.

Dredge the shrimp in the flour.

Dip in the eggs and let the excess drip off.

Dredge the shrimp in the coconut/panko crumb mixture.

Fry in the oil (which should be 350 degrees) for just about a minute, or until the coconut/panko mixture is golden brown on both sides.

Drain briefly on a napkin and serve hot with the Mango-chili sauce.

Mango Chili Sauce
1 cup fresh ripe mango
1 red Fresno chili
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs of brown sugar
salt to taste

Combine everything in a blender and puree until smooth.