Coconut Shrimp

I had a pretty stellar day today. There was nothing on the calendar so I was productive at home for much of the day, which is overdue and felt so welcome.

Then we took the family to the Recreation Center in my town and played some raquetball. I do find I need to step up the physical activity now that I've hit the 40-year mark, and I definitely prefer to be active by playing fun games rather than the gerbil activity of the treadmill.

My local supermarket had a special on some fancy seafood this weekend. I snapped some up and Sophia made a feast for dinner. Crabcakes! Pan-seared scallops! And today's recipe - Coconut Shrimp with an orange dipping sauce.

I never find seafood recipes to be too much trouble, and they always cook so quickly. I even deveined the shrimp myself, which I've never done before, and it was not a very squeamish job, thank the lord.

2 C. shredded coconut (sweetened)
2 c. bread crumbs
Kosher salt and ground pepper
2 c. flour
4 large eggs
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Vegetable oil for frying

Dipping sauce:
1/2 c. orange marmalade
1-2 T dark rum

In a large bowl, combine coconut and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Coat each shrimp in flour, dredge in eggs, and roll in the bread crumb mixture.

In a Dutch Oven, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil to about 350 degrees. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and cooked through - about 3-4 minutes per batch. It is a quick process and not troublesome, but DO take care not to overcrowd the shrimp in the cooking process, nor to cook them too long.

Drain on paper towels.

For the dipping sauce, heat the marmalade in a small saucepan and thin with rum as desired. Serve immediately.