Coconut Shrimp / Prawns with Spicy Thai Mango Sauce Recipe

Crunchy coconut shrimp / prawns with a spicy Thai MANGO dipping sauce! This sauce is so delicious I need to pour it over every thing. And actually – you could possibly! On cooked meats, seafood, as a salad dressing…..let your creativeness run wild!

This can be a very particular recipe to me as a result of it was created throughout a go to to a mango farm known as Groves Grown Tropical Fruits in Queensland, Australia. I’m lucky to have travelled pretty extensively world wide, and but this journey is presumably the one which has affected me most profoundly as an avid foodie, a prepare dinner, and a author.

If you find yourself welcomed by a farmer and his household onto their farm and into their residence, stroll the soil and see the fruits (actually) of their exhausting labour, it provides you a brand new perspective on issues.

Final week, I used to be so lucky to have the chance to fulfill Ian Groves and his household at Groves Grown Tropical Fruits farm. I anticipated a tour, some Q&A time, and to study extra about Australian mangos.

However inside minutes of pulling up in my rent automotive, I knew this was not simply the offical tour I used to be anticipating when Ian mentioned to me “Let me present you to your room.”

“My room?”, I requested, perplexed. “I’ve lodging booked for me on the town.”

“Oh no, you could keep right here!”, he insisted. Which I gratefully accepted as a result of I had no want to be driving forwards and backwards 50km on nation roads.

And I knew, when I dragged my suitcase into my room and noticed this, that this go to was not going to be simply “a tour”.

This gorgeous a lot set the tone for your complete go to. Heat, welcoming, humorous, considerate.

I’m certain the Groves household bought sick of listening to me exclaim “I’m purported to be “on the job”, however this seems like a vacation with buddies!”.

I spent the day being toured round his in depth farm along with his daughter Melanie and the compulsory farm canine, Milly, astounded by the dimensions, the time, care, labour, science and element it takes to develop stunning, plump, juicy mangoes that metropolis people like myself take with no consideration.

I used to be particularly happy to see that a few of the mangoes have been low hanging. Improbable for shorties like myself!! 😉

I need to write a lot and share so many photographs however I do know I’ll in all probability implode my web site if I dribble on as a lot as I may. So I need to share with you one factor that I realized that I didn’t actually admire earlier than my go to – the mango varieties. Wow. Simply wow.

Inexperienced mangoes. Pink mangoes. Gold ones, big ones. I used to be despatched residence with a rare number of mangoes, all hand marked by Ian so I wouldn’t neglect. 😂 I’ve spent the previous week making my method by way of the stash – consuming and cooking half, and freezing the opposite half (notice the absence of reference to giving them away!).

Every member of the Groves household has a favorite kind of mango. I like ’em all, however having now tried Kensington Prides, Keitts, R2E2’s and Honey Gold mangoes, I have to say I’m fairly keen on Keitts! They’re the pink tone mangoes within the photograph beneath with the tinge of inexperienced. Simply as juicy, candy and “meaty” as different varieties, however there’s a very gentle tang, virtually lemony which actually appeals to my palette.

I used to be thrilled that Sandi, Ian’s spouse, let me take over the kitchen on the 2nd day so I may experiment with mango recipes!! So I created this recipe whereas I used to be there however I have to admit, I couldn’t get the sauce fairly proper (efficiency nervousness!) so I labored on it as soon as I bought again to Sydney till I used to be completely happy.

I actually wished this sauce to have some depth, zing and freshness to offset the sweetness of the mango which I assumed can be an excellent accompaniment to the candy, crunchy shrimp / prawns.

These crunchy prawns / shrimp…so, I’ve to let you know, the primary batch I made was simply coated in coconut. However they only weren’t that crunchy! Panko is crucial for this Coconut Shrimp. As is utilizing desiccated, somewhat than flaked or shredded coconut.

Many due to to my official style tester for this recipe, Melanie, Ian’s daughter, for serving to me make the prawns excellent!!?

Common readers will know that I don’t fry fairly often. It’s reserved for very particular events, for meals “value frying” for.

These Coconut Shrimp are value it. Pinky swear, promise. 

Coconut Shrimp / Prawns with Spicy Thai Mango Sauce Recipe

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Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes 10 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 lb / 500 g whole prawns OR 12oz/350g peeled fresh prawns (Note 1)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (Note 2)
• Oil , for frying
• 1 cup (packed) fresh mango. roughly diced
• 2 tbsp cilantro/coriander , leaves and stems, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp red onion or eschallots , finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (or substitute with light or ordinary soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp sriracha (Note 3)
• 1 tsp red chilli , finely chopped (adjust to taste)
• 2 - 3 tbsp coconut milk (adjust for desired sauce consistency)

Instructions

1. Mango Sauce: Place ingredients in a small food processor (or blender or use a blender stick). Whizz until smooth. Adjust salt and spice to taste. Use coconut milk to adjust the consistency.
2. Peel and devein the shrimp / prawns. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Whisk egg in a small bowl. Mix panko and coconut in another bowl.
4. Dip a prawn in the egg mixture then coat with panko. Repeat with remaining prawns.
5. Heat oil in a skillet (Note 4) over medium high heat. Toss in a clotted lump of panko/egg to test for heat - if it sizzles right away and floats to the top, then the oil is hot enough.
6. Working in batches, carefully place prawns in the hot oil. Cook for just 45 seconds (Note 5) until golden brown - start counting when you slide the first prawn in and remove the prawns from the oil in the order that you put them in.
7. Remove onto a paper towel lined tray to drain.
8. Serve warm with Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce!

Notes

1. Fresh shrimp / prawns are best for this recipe. If you can't get fresh, then frozen will work fine for this recipe.
2. Desiccated coconut is the fine shredded coconut. I prefer the finely shredded coconut to the larger flakes because you get better crunch when combined with the panko breadcrumbs!
3. You can substitute the sriracha with any hot sauce of choice BUT you will need to add a touch of sour (~1 tsp white vinegar) and 1 small garlic clove, crushed (because sriracha has vinegar and garlic in it which is part of the flavour base for this sauce).
4. Amount of oil required: You need enough all so that the prawns are almost, but not completely, submerged. You don't need so much oil that the prawns are floating because they cook so fast. The oil bubbles when the prawns are put in the oil which cooks the top of the prawns which is above the surface of the oil - you can see this in the video.
5. There are few things in life sadder than overcooked prawns, especially if you made the effort to peel them yourself! Perfectly cooked prawns will form a "C" shape and OVERCOOKED prawns curl tightly into an "O" shape. My prawns were a fairly standard size - not jumbo, not small, they were about 10cm/4" in length (peeled, but including tail) and about 1cm/ 2/5" thick. These were perfectly cooked in 45 seconds.
6. To make ahead: Allow to cool then place in a container in single layers. To reheat so they recrisp, preheat the oven to 220C/430F. Place prawns on a baking tray and bake for 3-5 minutes until they crisp up. No longer than that, otherwise they will over cook!