Coconut Shrimp

     Hello there! 

     Until a few years ago I would not - nay - COULD not eat shrimp. Originally, this started from a place of growing up not eating a lot of shrimp, but also knowing that shrimp were bottom dwellers (garbage eaters!), made my stomach turn. This does not seem like a great intro to this post....hold on, it get's worse! Hahaha!

    So, after I got over that and tried shrimp again randomly as an adult (I just tried the cold shrimp with the classic seafood sauce), I came to realize that shrimp was pretty tasty and I actually liked it. And then, a set back.

   We showed up for an Easter meal at my in-laws, and my brother-in-law had something smelling so good on the BBQ. I asked what it was and he said he had been marinating jumbo shrimp for a few hours and was now grilling them. Well, yum-diddly! I had only really eaten "party shrimp", as mentioned, but this smelled so good, and I was willing to try!

     Well, didn't he just bring me one when they were ready.....and it was a large, frightening, unpeeled shrimp! I literally went, "OH NO! No, no, no, no, I can't eat that....". Like a baby. Like a giant baby.

     My father-in-law came to the rescue and offered to peel it for me (where I couldn't see him doing it!), and then I ate that shrimp. It was tasty. But I knew my shrimp limits then and there. If the shrimp is naked, I'm good. If it's got eyes, and creepy little legs. Good golly, keep it away from me!!! 

     For this post I wanted to find some useful links to help with the peeling and deveining process, and literally, out loud at my computer sat going, "Bleeeeh! Eeeewwwwwww!!" while making faces of disgust. I still can't handle shrimp that look like little sea creatures. Here's a link for those of you who can handle it though! 

     If all of this made you question eating shrimp at all....I'm sorry. Seriously, so sorry. 

     This coconut shrimp is so good though....you may want to reconsider your feelings. I shan't ever change my feelings about shrimp I'd need to peel and devein, but shrimp that's ready for fried coconutty goodness? That's a no brainer!     

      These tasty morsels come together easily and relatively quickly. They are great on a salad, served with sauce, eaten alone, and even eaten cold the next day! I usually eat mine next to a mountain of Moo-shu (I just make a meat free version).

Paleo Coconut Shrimp
​From Wiked Spatula

Ingredients:

• 1 lb medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined (here's that link again for help with this step if you can stomach it!)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 Tbsp coconut flour
• Pinch o' salt
• 1/4 Tsp paprika
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil

Method:

1. In a small bowl whisk the egg and the tapioca starch together
2. In a second bowl, combine the shredded coconut, coconut flour, salt and paprika.
3. Butterfly your shrimp by slicing down the back of them until they open up and could almost lay flat (check out the link for a more detailed instruction). If you want to, you can can leave the tails on. This does make flipping and eating considerably easier!
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil.
5. Dip the shrimp into the egg & starch mixture, let the excess drip off, and then dredge the shrimp through the coconut mixture, making sure it's well covered by gently pressing the shrimp into the mixture
6. In batches (so the pan isn't too crowded) fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes and golden brown on the outside. The exact time it may take for the shrimp to cook depends on the size of the shrimp. But remember that shrimp can get rubbery if overcooked!
7. If the pan runs out of oil simply add 1 or 2 more tablespoons before the next batch and let warm up before adding more shrimp
8. Transfer cooked shrimp to a newspaper or paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil while cooking the rest of the shrimp
9. Serve as is, or with a favourite sauce 

      Looks good, eh? It is. It so is. 

      Well, that's all for today! I didn't get a chance to post anything last Friday because it just turned into a day of busyness (not business), and then last minute my husband and I decided to go out for a late anniversary dinner, and well, the day just vanished. Poof! 

      Anywho, how do you feel about shrimp? I want to know! So, feel free to share with me your truest feelings about the little sea creature. : )

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