Coconut Shrimp

I don't know why, maybe it was the marathon of Diner, Drive Ins, and Dives I watched, but I could not stop thinking about fried food. Fried anything, I just had to have it. Unfortunately we are in the middle (hopefully at the tale end) of a ridiculous heat wave and it is just too hot to cook anything on the stove top/in the oven. So I decided to see if I could turn my plain old gas grill (ok, so it's a little bit fancier than a plain old grill) into a range. Apparently, if you have an oven safe pan, and constantly remind yourself not to touch the handle, the answer is yes. I used my Wok, which doesn't have any melty-plastic parts, but any kind of oven safe pan would work. So if you live any where in the majority of the country, where it is currently too hot to cook inside, try using your grill in new and inventive ways. If not, this recipe would work just as easily indoors.

Coconut Shrimp:
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 egg whites
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut, shredded
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/4 tsp of chili powder
Coconut Oil for frying (about 1/4-1/2 cup)
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1 tbsp of Sriracha, or to taste

In a large wok or frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil. In a bowl beat the egg whites until frothy then add shrimp and stir until all shrimp are coated. On a small plate mix together the breadcrumbs, coconut, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Working with a few shrimp at a time, add the shrimp to the breadcrumbs, and roll them around to coat completely. Put breaded shrimp in hot oil, do not overcrowd the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until shrimp are firm and golden. Repeat breading and frying until all shrimp are cooked. Add more oil as necessary, as the level gets to low, the oil should generously coat the bottom of the pan. I needed 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons. To make sauce, stir together mayonnaise and Sriracha. Enjoy!

Happy Eating.