To this point, we’ve mostly used our Dutch oven for baking fresh bread and roasting meats (Mutton Post Roast and Dutch Oven Turkey Breast come to mind). While we’ve been getting good use out of it, we had neglected its frying capabilities. NOT ANYMORE! We decided to start out with a classic dish, namely Fried Shrimp (also see Flax Fried Shrimp). I had a craving for Coconut Shrimp, and we’d just bought some coconut flakes to make homemade macaroons, so this was an easy choice.
As for the sauce, we wanted to build something akin to a cocktail sauce, but with an island flare. So, we decided to build a cocktail sauce with ketchup and horseradish and then infuse it with pureed pineapple! We then served our shrimp over white rice with a side of steamed broccoli!
Time: 15 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Large Shrimp (peeled, deveined, with the tail on)
- Egg
- Flour
- Sweetened Coconut Flakes
- For the Sauce:
- Fresh or Canned Pineapple Chunks
- Ketchup
- Horseradish
Method:
- Prep your dipping stations!
- Pour a tablespoon or two of all purpose flour into a bowl
- Crack and beat an egg in a bowl
- Pour some coconut flakes into a bowl
- Pat your shrimp dry, peel/devein as needed (leaving the tails on for ease of dipping), and put it in a bowl.
- Prep your sauce!
- Puree your pineapple chunks, and then combine them in a bowl with your ketchup and horseradish. Set aside, and let all of the flavours get to know each other.
- Coat!
- Working one at a time, grab a shrimp by the tail, and dangle shake it around in your flour (think like a marionette).
- When coated, dip the shrimp in your egg to coat.
- When egged, dip in your coconut to build your final layer.
- Place your shrimp on a prep plate, and coat the rest.
- Cook!
- Pour about a quarter inch of oil into your Dutch oven, and heat on the stove until it hits about 350 degrees F. Too much hotter, and your sugars will burn…too much cooler, and you won’t get your coating crispy.
- Carefully, place your shrimp into the oil (tail makes a good grip for tongs), and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Flip, and cook for another 2-3 minutes (until your shrimp is nice and crispy and golden brown on all sides).
- Remove from heat, and place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil that may be present.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
