It’s no secret that I like tropical things. So when I found out this week’s Whole Foods One Day Sale item was going to be wild shrimp, I went right to the tropics with it. Crispy coconut shrimp served with a sweet and spicy mango-peach chile sauce. Serve them as a snack on their own, or make it a complete dinner with a side of sweet plantains and rice… perfect for the upcoming holiday weekend!
serves two
INGREDIENTS
for the shrimp…
1/2 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
1 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup tapioca flour (aka starch), or all purpose flour if preferred
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1-2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
for the mango-peach chile sauce…
1 cup chopped mango (1 large mango)
1 1/2 cups chopped peach (2 peaches)
1/4 to 1 tsp fresh Habanero chile pepper, depending on desired heat (sub Serrano if needed)
2 tsp fresh lime juice (1 lime)
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
for the plantains…
1 ripe plantain (yellow)
1 tbsp coconut oil, ghee, or avocado oil
salt, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Make the sauce first…
Roughly chop the mango and peach
Remove the seeds from the chile pepper, then slice
(Habaneros are HOT- wash your hands well, some even like to wear gloves)
Add the mango, peach, mint, cilantro, honey, vinegar, and lime to the food processor
Begin with 1/4 tsp chile and 1/4 tsp salt…
Blend, taste, and then add more of each as desired
If you like spicy, 1 tsp chile is fine, but it’s always best to start small 😉
A note about processors…
I’ve had this one that comes with my immersion blender for years
Small, simple, and super easy clean up…
I get asked all the time which I sue for my condiments, so here it is! 🙂
That’s it…
Refrigerate until serving
(Note: this will make more sauce than you need for a few shrimp,
but it’s so tasty to have around, I’m sure some leftovers won’t be a problem 😉 )
To make the shrimp…
On one plate, add the tapioca flour and salt
On another, add the coconut
Which the eggs in a bowl
Clean and devein all shrimp, leaving the tails in tact if desired
(Make sure shrimp are relatively dry… pat down if needed)
Dip a shrimp in the tapioca blend
Shake off excess powder- you just need a light coating
(Too much can make them dry)
Dip the shrimp in the egg, then in the coconut, coating it completely on al sides
Continue until all shrimp are coated
(Wait until all are done to begin cooking… this way they’ll all have the same cooking time)
Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium to medium-high heat
(On my funky electric stove, it’s a 6/7) 🙂
Add the shrimp, just a few at a time to avoid overcrowding the pan
Cook for approx 1 1/2 minutes, until golden brown
If you notice your shrimp are browning too quickly, lower the heat…
oppositely if needed, turn it a bit to get a deeper golden color
Flip and repeat…
Approx 3 minutes total should be good, however cooking time
may vary depending on the size of the shrimp and heat
Lay shrimp on a paper towel…
Continue until all shrimp are cooked
Serve with mango-peach chile sauce
Or, if you want to whip up a quick batch of plantains to go with…
Peel the plantain, then cut it diagonally into long slices
If using the same pan, wipe clean, then add
a tbsp of coconut oil to the pan over medium-high heat
Lay the slices in the hot oil, then cook for a couple of minutes until lightly golden
Flip and cook for approx a minute more
Lay on a paper towel to absorb excess oil
Sprinkle with salt, to taste
That’s it!
To make it a complete plate, serve shrimp with rice, plantains, and the chile sauce
Enjoy!!
