A Tasty End to the Week

This week went by fast, but it still felt like a long one. Husband had to go to a class for his Master’s program last night. Before he got home, I decided to make the Coconut Shrimp recipe that I spotted in this month’s Southern Living.

I figured this recipe might be a winner. Husband and I both love shrimp, and the recipe looked like it would have the crunch of fried shrimp without being fried or greasy.

Husband absolutely loved it. Usually high praise from him is, “This is Top 5,” meaning that it’s one of the five best recipes I make. (Truthfully, there are probably many more than just 5 recipes in the “top 5,” but who am I to argue with praise?) This time, he said, “This is Top 5…wait, no, it’s Top 3!”

The recipe had a nice sweet and spicy tang, and the shrimp were surprisingly tender. It was a little bit labor intensive, but definitely worth it.

And I can tell you that sitting down with Husband on the couch after a long week, eating this tasty shrimp recipe, was definitely the highlight of the week.

Without further ado, here is the Coconut Shrimp recipe:

Recipe and picture from here.

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 pounds unpeeled, large raw shrimp (21/25 count) [Note: I used frozen shrimp that were cooked, and they worked just fine. I just let the shrimp thaw first in a bowl of cold water.] - Vegetable cooking spray - 2 egg whites - ¼ cup cornstarch -1 tablespoon Caribbean jerk seasoning [I didn’t have this, so I used a Mango Habanera rub we had on hand. I think almost any sort of spicy rub/seasoning would work.] -1 cup sweetened flaked coconut -1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs (panko) -1 teaspoon paprika 1. Preheat oven to 425°. Peel shrimp, leaving tails on; devein shrimp, if desired. 2. Place a wire rack coated with cooking spray in a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. 3. Whisk egg whites in a bowl just until foamy. 4. Stir together cornstarch and Caribbean jerk seasoning in a shallow dish. 5. Stir together coconut, breadcrumbs, and paprika in another shallow dish. 6. Dredge shrimp, 1 at a time, in cornstarch mixture; dip in egg whites, and dredge in coconut mixture, pressing gently with fingers. Lightly coat shrimp with cooking spray; arrange shrimp on wire rack. [I actually just sprayed a cookie sheet and put the shrimp directly on the cookie sheet.] 7. Bake at 425° for 10 to 12 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink, turning after 8 minutes. Serve with Honey-Mustard Sauce. [We ate them sans-Mustard sauce, and they were still tasty!] Enjoy!