Coconut Shrimp w/ Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce

Serves 6 appetizer portions

Ingredients

For Spicy Mango Sauce

  • 2 mangos, peeled & roughly chopped
  • 3 pieces candied ginger (2"-3" each)
  • juice of ½ lime
  • 1 jalapeño, halved, seeded & deveined
  • ½ stalk lemongrass, roughly chopped
  • pinch of kosher or sea salt

For Coconut Shrimp

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
  • kosher or sea salt to taste
  • 1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
  • Cajun seasoning to taste (or mix of cayenne pepper & paprika)
  • canola oil for frying (enough to fill 2" deep in medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot)

How-to

For Spicy Mango Sauce

  1. Add all sauce ingredients to food processor. Pulse to combine. If sauce is too watery, add another piece of candied ginger
  2. Transfer sauce to dish and refrigerate to chill until the shrimp is ready

For Coconut Shrimp

  1. Heat canola oil to 320º (and watch the video for Lynne's tips on ensuring oil is hot enough!)
  2. In three separate shallow pans, add flour to one, beaten eggs to another, and panko and sweetened coconut to the last
  3. Add Cajun seasoning to the pan with panko and coconut. Toss to combine
  4. Working with a few shrimp at a time, toss in flour, shake off excess then submerge into beaten eggs. Allow extra egg to drip off of shrimp, and transfer to the coconut mixture
  5. Depending on the size of your pot (or deep fryer), carefully lower 4-8 shrimp at at time into hot oil and fry until golden, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and season immediately with kosher salt
  6. Repeat with remaining shrimp
  7. Serve immediately with chilled sauce