Awwww...Shrimp Yeah!

Coconut Shrimp w/ Spicy Apricot Dipping Sauce and Sesame Vegetable Noodles



I thought it was about time for me to fry something. I typically don't like to fry foods, for apparent health reasons, and the fact that it makes my apartment smell like a clown-shoed burger joint.

So, this is one of my first forays into fried food, and let me tell you, it's pretty freaking easy. For me, when cooking anything I am not familiar with I look for a basic recipe to base my meal on and then add my own twists here and there.

For the coconut shrimp I found a really simple recipe by the Queen-of-all-things-fried - Ms. Paula Deen. I thought who better to base my dish on than a woman who has built an empire off of her deep fryer. Her dipping sauce called for orange marmalade, and being that I was not born in the 1800s, I don't really care for the stuff. So instead, I opted for an Apricot preserve to get that similar sweet, citrus flavor.

Coconut Shrimp w/ Dipping Sauce:

• 1 lb. Shrimp - peeled (leaving tails on), deveined, and butterflied
• 2 Cups Sweetened Shredded Coconut
• 1/2 Cup Panko
• Cooking Oil
• 1/2 Cup Flour
• 2/3 Cup Water
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 Cup Apricot preserve
• 1/2 tsp.Crushed Red Pepper
• 4 Tsp. Red Wine Vinegar

1. Mix together flour, water, and baking powder for batter - let stand for 15 minutes
2. Mix together coconut and panko
3. Dip shrimp in batter and then dip in the coconut mix, pressing down to ensure a good coating.
4. Heat cooking oil in deep fryer or heavy bottom pan to 350 degrees (tip: use a digital food thermometer to measure, but let it get hotter to start because the temperature will drop when you add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp in batches for 1 - 2 minutes and set on baking sheet lined with paper towels.
5. SAUCE: Combine preserves, vinegar and crushed red pepper in saucepan and warm at medium-low heat until it is all combined and is a syrup-like consistency.
6. Serve it up!

For the noodle salad, that is another one out of my Mother's kitchen.  It is very easy to put together and you can make it in advance the day before.  It only gets better the longer it sits.  

Sesame Noodles:

• 12 oz. Linguine
• 1 Red Pepper
• 4 Green Onions
• 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
• 3 tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 1 tbsp. Chili Oil or Chili Sauce w/ garlic
• 2 tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. Sugar
• 1 tsp. Toasted Sesame Seeds

1. Cook Linguine
2. Slice Red Peppers and green onions into thin strips
3. Mix together - Soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil and vegetable oil, along with the sugar.  I suggest mixing it in a saucepan over low heat.  It will help the sugar dissolve.
4. Toss linguine, peppers, onions, and sauce into a bowl and mix together well.  Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.  I would suggest letting it set for at least a couple of hours, although making it the day before allows all the flavors to really come together.  Serve it up and top with sesame seeds.

For the coating - first prepare your batter - which consists of flour, water and baking powder.  Then in a separate container mix your shredded coconut and panko.  Then simply dip shrimp first into the flour and water mixture and then move into coconut mixture.  Be sure to press firmly into coconut to be sure it sticks well.

Coated shrimp - prior to frying

Batch of fried shrimp resting on paper towels to soak up some of the excess oil.

Dipping Sauce - combine Apricot preserves with red wine vinegar and crushed red pepper a cook over low heat until thouroughly blended together

For Sesame Noodles - chop up a small to medium sized red pepper in small strips - and do the same with 4 green onions.

Then combine cooked linguine, red peppers, green onions and sauce in large bowl.  Cover and put into the refrigerator.  This can be made a day in advance if you choose, it only gets better the longer it sits.

Final Plate - Coconut shrimp with dipping sauce spooned on - and sesame noodles topped with a pinch of toasted sesame seeds.

This really is a pretty easy meal to put together, so give it a shot.  Making the noodles the day before will make this meal even easier to put on the table in no time. And be sure to make a lot of the noodles so you have some for leftovers, because they are incredible to dig into after a late night out.