Baked Coconut Curry Shrimp

The seafood pact Ross and I made is still going strong.  Shrimp hasn't made an appearance on our menu, which is odd given how we usually have some frozen on hand at all times.

The shrimp was picked before the recipe.  Jumbo and shell on.  I briefly toyed with a few Cajun inspired grilled recipes, but given our luck with the weather, an indoor meal was probably best.   We've both been itching for something breaded as of late, a splurge against the all of the CSA veggies we've been enjoying.  This baked version made the guilty pleasure a little more forgiving.  Quite frankly, it really didn't need any deep frying anyway.

The breading and cooking process itself is super quick.  The shrimp can ready in about 20 minutes.  However, if using shell on jumbo shrimp, plan an giving yourself a bit more time.  The peeling, deveining and butterflying can be a bit tedious and time consuming.

the recipe is my own

serves 3-4

The Ingredients
1 lb large raw shrimp (13-15 count)
2 eggs
1/3 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup panko
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt

favorite dipping sauce to serve

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 425

Peel the shrimp, leaving the last segment on the tail intact.  Slit the back of the shrimp and remove the vein.  Cut deeper along the center back to the tail segment, and gently splay the shrimp open.  Rinse and pat dry.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs.  In a second bowl, combine the coconut, panko, flour and seasonings.  One at a time, dip the shrimp into the egg and press into the coconut coating.  Lay the shrimp, butterflied side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  Lightly mist with additional oil.

Bake until the shrimp are opaque and begin to curl, about 10 minutes.

Serve with dipping sauce.