Shrimp and Coconut Fritters
This combines two of my personal food favorites: Gulf shrimp and fritters. How can anyone resist a hand-held disc of fried food? In most cases fritters are made with a flour-based batter, but for these I made a sort of shrimp mousseline with half of the shrimp, some unsweetened, shredded coconut, and some egg, and then used that to bind the hunks of chopped shrimp. They hold together beautifully.
I like to serve this with an easy dipping sauce made with the juice of a lime, three tablespoons of honey, and about a quarter of a cup of hot pepper sauce. They really don’t need any accompaniment beyond a wedge of lime or lemon, but if you like a little heat with your fritters, the sauce is easy to make.
I also love these with some fresh cilantro or garlic thrown in, and while I am calling this an appetizer, the truth is that for me it usually serves as a main dish. I like to eat the warm fritters on top of a salad, drizzled with the dipping sauce. Any leftovers store well in the refrigerator, and you can reheat them by briefly re-frying them (if you want the exterior crispy) or by reheating in the microwave.
Thanks for reading,
Shrimp and Coconut Fritters
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 1 egg
- 2 green onions, trimmed and chopped
- 1-2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger (optional, but nice)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste, as this depends on the salinity of the shrimp)
- coconut oil, to fry the fritters
Instructions
- Coarsely chop half of the shrimp, and set them aside. Place the rest of the shrimp in a food processor along with the coconut, egg, green onions, ginger, and salt. Pulse until you have a chunky paste. Transfer the paste to a mixing bowl, and fold in the chopped shrimp.
- Heat enough coconut oil to just cover the bottom of your skillet. Adjust the heat to medium-high, and drop in the fritter batter in portions of about a quarter of a cup. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through. Remove the cooked fritters to drain on paper towels. Serve hot. This makes about ten fritters.
