After the holidays, we did an inventory of the baking ingredients that we had in the house. Not sure how it happened, but we had an extra bag of shredded coconut. So this all got me thinking about something I had long wanted to try - coconut shrimp. So when you get this at a restaurant, you will normally have something that is deep fried. So I was really excited when I found a recipe for coconut shrimp from my favorite magazine and cooking site - Eating Well. I also had a jar of apricot preserves for the longest time - so I wanted to find a sauce that would use this as a base. This is not really super healthy, but you do not have a ton with the shrimp. What you see in the picture is a double batch of sauce. I did find a great recipe to be the inspiration for the sauce from the Simply, Sweet and Savory blog.
This was, simply put, fantastic! Now while it would go well as an appetizer, it was practically our meal on Oscar night. I will definitely be making this again as it was fantastic. I love the idea that this is just as delicious as what I get in restaurants, but a bit healthier.
Ingredients (six portions for appetizers or 3-4 portions for main entree)
Apricot Sauce:
1/2 cup Apricot preserves
1 tsp (or cloves) Garlic, minced
2 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Brown sugar
2 tbsp Water
Coconut Shrimp:1 tsp (or cloves) Garlic, minced
2 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Brown sugar
2 tbsp Water
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 lbs Shrimp (raw - 21-25 count per pound)
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 lbs Shrimp (raw - 21-25 count per pound)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet or coat with cooking spray.
2. Combine all sauce ingredients (apricot preserves, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and water) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for 12-15 minutes.
3. In one dish, whisk flour, paprika, cinnamon, and garlic powder. In a second dish, beat eggs. In a third dish, combine coconut and kosher salt.
2. Combine all sauce ingredients (apricot preserves, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and water) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for 12-15 minutes.
3. In one dish, whisk flour, paprika, cinnamon, and garlic powder. In a second dish, beat eggs. In a third dish, combine coconut and kosher salt.
4. Peel shrimp, leaving the tails on. Butterfly the shrimp by cutting halfway through the back, stopping at the tail. Holding the shrimp by the tail, dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture. Then dip the shrimp in the egg and then coat with coconut. Stand the shrimp tail-up on the prepared baking sheet. Discard any unused dipping mixtures.
5. Bake the shrimp until the coating starts to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
Enjoy!
