Coconut Shrimp Restaurant Style

This recipe for Coconut Shrimp Restaurant Style over Lime Cilantro Rice with Mango Habanero dipping sauce is too good to not share.

We are an hour away from the start of 2019. Let's talk about Coconut Shrimp and New Year's Eve. Fish are believed to be a lucky New Year's Eve food because their scales resemble coins, and they swim in schools, which invoke the idea of abundance. Plus, before they were a New Year's Eve food, fish swim forward which represents progress. 

Ingredients:

• For the marinade:
  • Lime
  • Coconut milk
• For the prawns:
  • Flour
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • Eggs 
  • Plain Panko bread crumbs
  • Sweetened shredded coconut
  • Shrimp (prawns)
  • Peanut Oil
• For the rice:
  • Cooked hot rice (Jasmine is the best!)
  • Zest of one lime
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Chopped cilantro
• For the dipping sauce
  •  I made Mango Habanero Sauce from Serious Eats

For the full recipe with quantities, see the recipe card at the end of the post.

Instructions:

• For the marinade:
  • Zest one lime and set the zest aside. You will use it in the rice.
  • Add half the juice of the lime to the coconut milk in a medium bowl. (reserve the rest for the rice)
  • Add the cleaned and prepared shrimp to the marinade and soak for one hour.
  • Remove the shrimp and drain on paper towels.
• For the coconut shrimp:
  • Combine flour, salt, and pepper on a plate.
  • Beat the eggs in a small bowl.
  • Combine the Panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut on another plate.
  • I use paper plates for this.
  • Dip the shrimp in the flour, then in the egg, and then dredge the shrimp into the coconut mixture, pressing gently to help it stick. Set aside in a single layer.
  • Add enough peanut oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Fry the coconut shrimp a few at a time. Flip over when golden brown and fry on the other side.
  • Place the finished coconut shrimp on a plate lined with a paper towel as you fry the rest.
  • For the rice:
  • Cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stove, however you like.
  • While the rice is piping hot, add the lime zest, lime juice, and chopped cilantro.
  • Serve the rice alongside or under the coconut shrimp. Serve with your favorite sweet or spicy chili sauce.