Baked Coconut Shrimp and Dipping Sauce

 

I've decided to have a go at making baked coconut shrimp as we had it at a celebration for my niece's 40th birthday. I still had some shrimp in the freezer after making the Firecracker Fried Shrimp so this gave me a great opportunity to try it at home. The nice thing about how they package shrimp is that there is a zip closure so you can remove shrimp as you need it and re-seal up the bag and put it back in the freezer. I defrost mine in cold water in the sink and it takes so little time. Also, as I always say, save the shrimp shells for stock.
We had coconut shrimp only one other time very early in our marriage, so I had to look at many variations of the recipe on the web. I found this recipe which I think is really close to what we had from the appetizer buffet. Also adding a video showing you how to de-vein shrimp if you have never done it before. What the video does not show however, is that there is a small black line or vein on the underbelly of the shrimp.

You can remove this as well with a paring knife or leave it be. Personally things like this bother me and I would rather get rid of it.

• 18-24 medium to large raw shrimp, butterflied (tails can be left on)
• 1 cup dry shredded coconut
• 3 eggs
• cooking spray

1. Peel your shrimp leaving the last shell and the tail in tact. De-vein the shrimp and split the shrimp so the end is butterflied. Wash them thoroughly and dry with paper towels and place in a glass dish or bowl and keep refrigerated until you are ready with the rest of the preparations.
2. Take the coconut and put it in a food processor and give it a few pulses to get it smaller. I discovered that if the coconut is smaller it will probably coat better.

Coating:

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
• 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 1/4 tsp. white sugar
• 3 pinches white pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper and spraying with a cooking spray.
3. In a bowl combine all of the ingredients for the coating. Mix well. Set aside.
4. In another smaller bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs. In a third dish place the shredded coconut.
5. Holding the shrimp by their tails, dip first into the beaten egg, then in the panko mix to coat them lightly. Then dip back in the egg, and finally, roll in the coconut.
6. Lay the shrimp on its side on the prepared baking sheet. 
7. Bake on the middle rack at 425°  for 15 minutes, or until coconut is toasted to a light golden brown, turning the shrimp half way through the baking process.

Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup Apricot preserve melt in microwave for 40 seconds
• 2 tsp. ground mustard
• 1 tsp. horseradish (use two if you like it really hot)
• 1 tsp. lemon juice (optional)

1. In a microwave save bowl, melt the 1/2 cup preserves in the microwave for 40 seconds.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
3. Taste to see if you think you want some acidity added and if so use lemon juice. Or add more of the horseradish if you want it hotter.