30 Before 30: Coconut Shrimp (#22)

This dish worked out in the end, but man, did it make a mess. First off, I didn't get a fresh coconut, even though the lord of the cookbooks (Alton Brown) says to do so. Also, I didn't have a lot of oil to begin with and I overheated it, it smoked, a little bit of stuff burned, the house got smoky, we opened the garage to air out the house, never closed it, and Aaron's bike was stolen (boo!). But we did have dinner and it was a healthier version in the end. I went into this one not intending to modify it, but there you go.

Coconut Shrimp (slightly modified) via Good Eats – The Early Years:

Serves 4 to 6

25 shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ c. cornstarch

¼ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. white pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

4 large egg whites

2½ c. shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, salt, pepper, and cayenne. In another small bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Place the coconut in a pie plate. Coat the shrimp with the cornstarch and shake off the excess. Dip them into the egg whites and then press them into the coconut to get full coverage.

Place the coated shrimp on a greased baking sheet and bake until the coating is golden brown, 15-20 minutes.

I love coconut shrimp and though these didn't end up with the same crunch you normally get, I also didn't need more oil. I will try Alton's real version someday, but this worked really well in the meantime.

Recipes Complete: 22

Recipes to Go: 8