Coconut Shrimp

I love me some shrimp.  Any which way...steamed, fried, roasted, in pasta, you name it, I'll eat it!  Like Elaine on Seinfeld, who said, "I love shrimp.  I'm a shrimp eater.  You put shrimp in front of me and I'll eat it until my stomach pops!"  Don't you feel like anything you do in your daily life can be referenced back to Seinfeld?  I don't know, maybe it's just my family...

Anyway, these coconut shrimp are just amazing...sweet and crunchy and the perfect size to just pop into your mouth.  This took absolutely no time to prepare or make.  I mean, shrimp literally take minutes to cook, any which way you make them.  I served mine with a sweet chili sauce, right out of the bottle.  It added a little more sweetness and some spice, which was just perfect.

Serves 4

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tail on or off)

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 eggs

4 cups vegetable oil 

In a large, deep pan, heat oil between medium and medium high heat until the temperature reaches 350 degrees.  Meanwhile, combine the coconut and panko in a shallow bowl and the beat the eggs in another shallow bowl.  Season shrimp with salt and pepper.  

Dip each shrimp in egg and shake off excess before dipping into coconut mixture.  Set aside.  When oil reaches 350 degrees, fry shrimp in batches (about half at a time) for 2-4 minutes until they are golden brown.  Use a slotted spoon to remove shrimp from oil and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.  Bring the oil temperature back up to 350 degrees and fry remaining shrimp.  Serve with Sweet Chili Sauce.