There was a time when it seemed any bar you walked into served coconut-crusted shrimp, deep fried and dripping with fatty calories. People love everything about them…except for the dripping with calories part. Mine are made with one part dried coconut and two parts macadamia nuts, which have healthier fat. Rather than frying, I “toast” the ingredients by sautéing them in just a little oil. You get all the crunch with far fewer fatty calories. As for the salad, it includes just about all of my favorite flavors and textures, many of them Asian.
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 16 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved lengthwise
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
For the Crumble
- 0.33 cup roasted, salted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs, toasted in a skillet on low heat for 5 minutes
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
For the Tropical Fruit Salad
- 1 medium mango, cut into matchsticks
- 1 small pineapple, cut into matchsticks
- 1 medium green mango, cut into matchsticks
- 2 ounces jicama, cut into matchsticks
- ½ small daikon radish, cut into matchsticks
- 2 scallions, cut into matchsticks
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced Thai red chile pepper (wear plastic gloves when handling)
- Salt to taste
How to Make It
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To Make the Shrimp
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil until it ripples. Working in batches, sauté the shrimp until they are opaque, about 1½ to 2 minutes per side. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a large shallow dish. To Make the Crumble
- In a small bowl, combine the macadamia nuts, coconut, and panko. Scatter over the shrimp. Toss to thoroughly coat each one. Add the lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, and scallions and toss. Season with salt and pepper. To Make the Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the mango, pineapple, green mango, jicama, radish, scallions, canola oil, lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce, cilantro, ginger, and red chile pepper. Toss and season to taste with salt. Divide the salad among 4 plates and top each serving with 4 shrimp.