Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Coconut Shrimp with Fiery Mango Sauce



Back when I was getting to know my husband, the ever important question came up, "do you like shrimp?" His answer, which remains his answer still is "not unless it's been breaded and deep fat fried!" Not being one to fry things often, I resigned myself to a happy but shrimp-less life with my husband, crossing my fingers that his non-shrimp loving genes wouldn't be passed on to my kids. It was.

So you can imagine my joy in finding this recipe from Cooking Light (for those of you new to my blog, I'm in love with Cooking Light. If Cooking Light was a religion, I'd be their first follower.) Big fat shrimp, coated in a crunchy, sweet layer of coconut and panko, and skillet fried to a browned crispy perfection. They're accompanied by a sweet and HOT mango sauce. I think I used jalapenos instead of habaneros, I haven't quite reached that level of bravery when it comes to hot foods.

During these cold, post-holiday days of winter, give this tropical dish a try, it might give you that bit of hope that you need to get you through it!

Coconut Shrimp with Fiery Mango Sauce
Cooking Light January 2010

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 teaspoon canola oil
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (12-ounce) can mango nectar
1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper, unseeded
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Shrimp:
28 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 teaspoons canola oil, divided
Cooking spray

Directions

1. To prepare sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add nectar and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Stir in juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool.

2. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; discard shells.

3. Place coconut in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until finely chopped. Add panko; pulse to combine. Place coconut mixture in a shallow dish. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Working with 1 shrimp at a time, dredge shrimp in cornstarch, shaking off excess. Dip in egg whites; dredge in coconut mixture.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 7 shrimp to pan; coat tops of shrimp with cooking spray. Cook shrimp 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure 3 times with remaining oil and shrimp.

Serves 4

31 comments:

Julie said...

I adore coconut shrimp and I love that these look so light and crispy! I fear the habanero as well :)

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

This is so funny! I just was rereading that issue last night and picked out this recipe...then this am I see it on your blog. Looks delicious!

Pretty Zesty said...

These look so delightful! Happy New Year!

Erica said...

coconut shrimp is one of Josh's favorite dishes! He often gets it when we're out and its on the menu. I used to make it, but its been a while! Thank you for the reminder

Natalie said...

I don't remember seeing that recipe in the latest issue, weird. It looks delicious though! We haven't had shrimp in way too long!

The Blonde Duck said...

If only I could eat shrimp...

Heidi said...

My husband would love this one! I won't tell him it's healthy :)

Velva said...

Your coconut shrimp look absolutely delightful. These would be wonderful for all shrimp lovers including, those that love it breaded and deep fried. This is a great alternative, healthy too.

Velva

Pam said...

Yum... I love everything about this recipe!

Val said...

Excuse me, while I wipe the drool off of my keyboard! This looks so good.

Unknown said...

this is pure heaven if I may say so

Kim said...

I sure wished we lived closer! I think we enjoy some of the same foods, even though our family members might not. Wouldn't it be fun if have lunch together and not have to worry about picky eaters?

Love this recipe and the whole idea of fiery mango sauce! Cooking Light always delivers. I've come to count on them for reliable recipes.

P.S. I made the roasted brussels sprouts you posted before Christmas and they were delicious. Speaking of which, I pretty much had to eat them all because no one else in the house likes them besides my daughter (who wasn't home at the time).

Mandi said...

I am loving this recipe! I have been meaning to try making coconut shrimp for the longest time. The mango sauce sounds awesome too. I'm excited to see your 4 things! =)

Debbie said...

I had coconut shrimp this weekend and love them! Your sauce sounds so good....

Reeni said...

Coconut shrimp is one of my favorite ways to eat them! Loving the spicy sauce too! I bet your husband had no complaints with these.

chow and chatter said...

wow what a fun dish :-0

Joanne said...

I'm glad you found a way to please both yourself and your family with this recipe! The coconut crust on these babies sounds delicious.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Oh, my word! These sound incredible. I don't usually associate fire with mangoes but you've made me curious enough to give this a try. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

Anonymous said...

I like spicy, but it has to be flavorful spicy, and habaneros are just plain hot.

Where did you find the mango nectar??

theUngourmet said...

I love this lighter shrimp recipe! The Fiery Mango Sauce sounds fantastic too! :)

The Blonde Duck said...

Thanks for the sweet words on my Tuesday post!

MaryBeth said...

I love coconut shrimp, I always get it out but have never made it at home before. My husband would love the dipping sauce for sure, this is a keeper in the to do box.

Ann said...

I love Coconut Shrimp. I never really cook shrimp. This might be a great place to start.

Liz said...

Love, love, love coconut shrimp....and Cooking Light

Sophia Lee said...

I think I would like to drink that mango sauce like a soup. I'd probably kill myself, but it sounds absolutely divine!!

MaryMoh said...

Shrimps are always my favourite. Yours look very delicious with the sauce. I love that you pan fried it. I never like deep frying....so greasy, so much to clean up an also so much wastage of oil. Thanks very uch for sharing. MaryMoh at http://www.keeplearningkeepsmiling.com

Brownieville Girl said...

Looks really delicious - just my type of food.

Lindsay said...

These look delicious! "fiery" might be a little to strong for me, but I'm sure a slightly milder version would be delicious!

Leslie said...

Oh la la.. I love me some spicy dippin sauce for my shrimp!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

You know I love cooking light recipes but don't like their magazine. Too many ads, I get annoyed reading it.

Great looking and sound shrimp. A winner with 4 out of 5 of us. My crazy girl doesn't like shrimp. She prefers salmon.
~ingrid

Unknown said...

Looks like a great appetizer. It could also go well with steak.