Hawaiian - Coconut Shrimp with Apricot Dipping Sauce

[Olga Drozd]

HAWAIIAN - COCONUT SHRIMP:

Coconut shrimp is a popular Hawaiian dish, made here with a tangy marinade and beer batter.  It can be eaten as a finger food or a main course.  Note that the shrimp should be marinated for at least two hours before cooking. The shrimp can be fried in advance, then quickly reheated in the oven. Coconut shrimp is often served with traditional cocktail or tartar sauce, but try it with hot sweet Apricot Dipping Sauce.  Use the largest shrimp you can find.  Hoisin sauce is available in the Asian food sections of many grocery stores.

1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp
2 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup flat beer

Flour for dipping, about 1/2 cup
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
Oil for deep frying

In a small bowl, combine the Hoising sauce, lime juice and ginger.  Put the shrimp in a non-reactive bowl and toss with the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, stirring once or twice.

The batter also benefits from being made in advance. Combine the flour and salt.  In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork, then add the oil and beer.  Stir the liquid into the flour until you have a slightly lumpy batter.  Refrigerate the batter until you are ready to cook the shrimp.

Drain the shrimp.  Stir the marinade into the batter.  Lay out the ingredients in this order: the shrimp, 1/2 cup flour in a small bowl or plate, the batter, the coconut in a bowl, and a large, clean plate.

Dip the shrimp into the flour and shake off any excess -- you want only a very light coating.  Dip the shrimp into the batter and let excess drip off.  Roll the shrimp in the coconut and pat on additional coconut if necessary. Put the shrimp on the plate.

Turn on oven to very low temperature.

Pour 3 inches of oil into a heavy pan or wok.  Heat oil to about 365º F.  Carefully put a few shrimp in the oil so they do not crowd each other.  Let them fry until golden brown, about 1 minute.  Drain and put them on a platter in the warm oven.  Let oil return to 365º F.  between batches. Makes 4 main course or 6 appetizer servings.

APRICOT DIPPING SAUCE:

This simple sweet-sour sauce with an Asian accent goes well with fried foods like Crab Wontons, Spring Rolls or Coconut Shrimp.  For an extra spicy twist, add red pepper flakes.

1/2 cup apricot jam or more as needed
2 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional

Put the apricot jam in a small saucepan.  Heat the jam until it liquefies.  Strain it into a measuring cup.  If it doesn't equal 1/2 cup, cook a little more jam.  If the jam is a particularly chunky variety, it may take as much as 1 cup to yield 1/2 cup syrup.  Discard the solids.

Return the syrup to the saucepan.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook briefly, just until the sauce is well blended.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Makes about 3/4 cup.