Deep fried butterfly coconut shrimp. This is my daughter’s favorite snack.

Deep-frying can be quite unfriendly for home cooking. You can also use shallow fry to finish this dish. This is a very popular snack in restaurants, usually with other cakes and fried stuff.

Coconut and breadcrumb are the best partners of shrimp even in stir-frying. Last time, I made stir-fried shrimp with breadcrumb. That is really a combo. If you try this one, the crispy breadcrumb and coconut not only bring crispy texture but also a strong coconut flavoring to the tender shrimp inside. In order to make the flavor more uniform, I add some coconut milk in egg in the coating.

Cook’s Note

• Since shrimp is quite easy to cook, there is no need to use lower oil temperature to cook the inside. We use hot oil directly (avoid oily flavor). But consequently, the coconut and bread can be burnt very quickly. So after adding the shrimp, slow down the fire and avoid over cooking.
• I recommend frying 5-6 shrimp each time. So there will be no big time difference for one batch.
• Butterflying the shrimp can maximize the crispy surface. Use a knife and slightly press the shrimp to make it even wider.
• You can match this with sweetened condensed milk or Thai style hot sauce. For children, a homemade sweet and sour sauce is a good dipping sauce too.

Instructions

Marinate shrimp with salt, pepper and sugar. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix egg with coconut milk.Spread cornstarch, then mix breadcrumb and coconut well.

Dip the shrimp in starch, egg and mixture of breadcrumb and coconut.

Heat oil until hot. If you stick in one chopstick, fine bubble forms immediately. Place 5-6 shrimp in for each batch. Fry for 8-12 seconds or until golden brown. Transfer out and serve with dipping sauce.