Coconut Shrimp

By pknaub

We think coconut shrimp is one of the greatest foods ever, but always feel guilty about eating it because it's fried. This baked version uses come of our coconut milk powder in the breading, as well as some unsweetened coconut for a more savory flavor. This is a great summer supper to have while your Jimmy Buffett is playing in the background.

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined; leave the last section of shell and tail intact.
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 large eggs, beaten until foamy
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment. Rinse and drain the shrimp; hold in a bowl over ice. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, coconut milk powder, salt, and cayenne. Pulse the sweetened coconut in a food processor to chop it a little finer, and place in another medium bowl with the unsweetened coconut. In a third bowl, whip the egg whites until foamy.
Holding onto the tail, dredge the shrimp in the cornstarch mixture until coated. Dip the shrimp into the egg whites, then coat completely with coconut. Place the shrimp on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the shrimp are breaded.
Lightly spray the tops of the shrimp with vegetable oil if desired (this will help them brown more evenly). If you have a convection oven, this is a good place to use it. Bake for 15 minutes (check at 12 to be safe) for a convection oven, and 15 to 20 minutes in a regular oven, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm. Yield: 4 servings.


Recipe summary
Hands-on time:
23 mins. to 25 mins.
Baking time:
15 mins. to 20 mins.
Total time:
38 mins. to 45 mins.
Yield:
4 servings