Coconut Shrimp & Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce
I’ve got a hankering for the sweet crunch of Coconut Shrimp, the question is, can it be made at home? Of course! I live in the Prairies, so seafood is far distance away. The easiest and most economic way to access seafood is frozen. But not to worry! Did you know that baking soda can change the pH of shrimp to become more alkaline? This pH change also changes the texture of shrimp to have more “bounce.” Go to any Chinese restaurant with shrimp stir fry, the firmer texture of shrimp is a result of this little tip!
To pair with coconut shrimp, I like a sauce that has some zing. The sauce is what makes an restaurant appetizer stand out, right? Yes, please! Mustard isn’t the typical go-to, but when the flavors are balanced, this is incredible!
Pretty tasty for this week’s Supper Challenge with a theme of “crunchy.” For maximum crunch, I suggest deep frying, but baked and grilled, does alright too. Truthfully, the best aspect of this dish, is taste. So addicting its so good!
Taste: This recipe captures balance – you can taste shrimp, sweet coconut and the zing of the sweet mustard sauce sings to my taste buds.
Texture: Not necessarily crunchy, but the coconut has great crispiness and contrasts the firmness of shrimp
Baked or Grilled Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- Large sized bowl
- Medium sized bowls
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw thawed overnight, deveined, shell removed shrimp
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Coconut Dredge
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut toasted
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
Flour Dredge
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Milk Dredge
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons apple butter I prefer Texas Pepper Rib Candy Apple Habanero
- 1 tablespoon honey mustard I prefer Blues Hog Honey Mustard
Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey mustard I prefer Blues Hog Honey Mustard
- 1 tablespoons apple butter I prefer Texas Pepper Rib Candy No Heat Apple Cinnamon
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place shrimp into a large bowl, sprinkle baking soda and kosher salt and toss to coat.
- SmellaQue Pro Tip: baking soda can change the pH of shrimp to be more alkaline and creating a better “bouncy” bite vs. being too soft. Salt adds great flavor
- Place bowl of shrimp into refrigerator for 15 minutes or more.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix Sweet Mustard Zing sauce – honey mustard, apple butter, kosher salt and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
- If grilling, preheat grill. If baking, preheat oven to 425F.
- On a pan, place sweetened shredded coconut into oven for 5 to toast. Stir shredded coconut and toast until lightly brown, another 2-5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Once shredded coconut is cool, place into food processor on pulse on high until pieces are smaller.
- In a medium sized bowl, stir together toasted shredded coconut and Panko bread crumbs.
- In a medium sized bowl, stir together flour dredge – flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, stir together milk dredge – milk, apple butter, honey mustard.
- Take shrimp out of the refrigerator and rinse under cold water to wash away the baking soda. Drain excess water.
- Arrange bowls to batter the shrimp: shrimp, flour dredge, milk dredge, coconut dredge, baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Dip shrimp in flour dredge, milk dredge and coconut dredge and lay onto parchment paper pan.
If Grilling:
- Grilling: Grill shrimp medium heat, preferably not under direct heat, about 5-8 minutes, flipping partway. Want the shrimp to turn from translucent to white and the tail should turn vibrant orange-pink.
If Baking
- Bake: Bake shrimp for 15-20 minutes until shrimp to turn from translucent to white and the tail should turn vibrant orange-pink.
- Serve Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce.