SPRING
Coconut Popcorn Shrimp with Mango-Lime Salsa
Don’t be daunted by the long ingredients list—everything comes together in minutes.
Serves 4
Shrimp
¾ cup canola oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plain seltzer or club soda
Salt and black pepper
¾ cup panko crumbs or bread crumbs
¾ cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salsa
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, diced
½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and black pepper
For shrimp:
1. Warm oil in a large, heavy skillet with at least 2-inch-high sides. In a bowl, whisk flour, seltzer, salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, combine panko and coconut.
2. Dredge shrimp in the flour mixture, then the panko mixture. Transfer to a wire rack to dry slightly. Fry shrimp in the oil in two batches, about 2 minutes per side, until cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
For salsa:
1. While the shrimp cooks, make the salsa. In a medium serving bowl, toss mangoes, red and jalapeño peppers, scallions, oil, lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with shrimp.
TIP: Panko crumbs make for a crisper crust. Find them in the Asian food section of your supermarket.