Shrimp take time to prepare, but are so worth it

I had a desire for some coconut shrimp, but didn’t want to pay the price I saw for a box of them I found in the freezer section of the local megamart.

I bought a slab of shrimp with the label 16-20 on it. This means it takes 16 to 20 shrimp to make one pound. You’ll find many other sizes available, with 31-35 being the most common in the easy-to-eat section. Those salad shrimp you find in the meat department, the really tiny pink ones, fall into the 250-350 category.

They came in a large brick that I thawed out in cool running water in a colander in the sink. One they were all loose, I had to peel the shells and legs off. This took a little bit of time, because I had bought a 2 1/2 pound brick of shrimp. I left the tail on each one, giving me something to hold on to later. I then carefully butterflied them, meaning I cut them nearly in half and then flattened the halves into one plane. I carefully removed the vein that was present in each shrimp, as no one wants to eat that part.

I tried to bake my shrimp in a hot convection oven. Looking back, I’d crank the temperature even higher than the 425 degrees I used. I didn’t really want to deep-fry them, which would have been a better choice, as my ventilation fan over the stove is out of service at the moment and I didn’t want to stink up the house with the smell of hot oil.

COCONUT SHRIMP

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 large eggs, beaten

1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 1/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut, cut up fine in a food processor

1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached

Vegetable oil for frying

In a bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs. In yet another bowl, combine Panko and coconut. Dip the shrimp into the flour, then the egg, and then dredge the shrimp into the coconut, pressing gently to adhere. Place on a sheet pan until the remainder are done. In a deep-frying pan, fill about half way with oil. Heat to about 350 degrees. Place in about 6 shrimp at a time, allowing to cook to a golden brown before flipping over to ensure even browning. Carefully remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Fry remaining shrimp in batches until all are done. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, such as the sweet chili sauce.

SWEET CHILI SAUCE

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, divided

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 medium cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh red jalapeño peppers

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

In a bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons water and cornstarch. Set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together remaining 1 cup water, garlic, peppers, sugar, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the hot sauce, stirring constantly, and allow to cook until thickened, about a minute or so. Remove from heat and serve as desired.

PASTA WITH SHRIMP

3 large garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed

1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 cup peanut oil

8 ounces bow tie pasta

12 ounces cooked peeled deveined medium shrimp

4 green onions, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Place garlic in a food processor and chop slightly before adding cilantro, peanuts and red pepper. Run further to process. With machine running, gradually add oil through feed tube. Season to taste with salt. (Can be prepared 6 hours and up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Bring pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender. Place shrimp in colander. Pour pasta into colander. Drain. Return shrimp and pasta to pot. Add pesto sauce, onions and lime juice. Toss to coat. Divide between plates and serve.

BAKED STUFFED SHRIMP

12 jumbo shrimp shelled and deveined

3 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup coarse bread crumbs from day-old bread

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 sprigs parsley

Split the shrimp along the backs but not all the way through. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange the shrimp on the pan. Heat 2 teaspoon of the olive oil in a large non stick skillet. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring, over medium low heat until the bread is golden. Add 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the garlic and lemon zest; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Carefully pack the bread mixture into opening in each shrimp, dividing evenly. Brush or drizzle each shrimp with the remaining oil. Bake until shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.

SHRIMP BALLS

1 pound 21/25 shrimp, peeled, deveined, finely chopped

8 ounces water chestnuts, finely chopped

8 ounces green onions, finely chopped

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons ginger, minced

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2 egg whites

2 cups vegetable oil

4 ounces plum sauce

4 ounces chili sauce

Mix shrimp, water chestnuts, green onion, cornstarch, sesame oil, ginger, and white pepper. Beat egg whites until foamy; stir into shrimp mixture. Shape mixture into small balls. Refrigerate until needed. Heat vegetable oil to 360 degrees. Fry shrimp balls until golden brown, turning 2 to 3 times, about 2 minutes. Drain and reserve. Heat sauces in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally until sauce is melted. Serve with shrimp balls.