Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Coconut Shrimp.

This recipe is from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook by Jaden Hair. My in-laws actually know her and they had her sign the book for me before sending it to me for Christmas. How cool is that?
I have always wanted to cook Asian food but had never tried before. I think I was a little intimidated by all the ingredients I had never used before and how different it is from the way I am used to cooking. I really like this cookbook because it really does make it look "easier" than I thought it would be to cook Asian dishes. For my first try, I decided to make some coconut shrimp.
We all thought it was very tasty and I can't wait to make it again!

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Ingredients:

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- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 Tbsp high-heat cooking oil
- 1 lb (500g) raw tail-on shrimp, deveined and patted really dry
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 green onions, cut into 2-in (5 cm) lengths
- 1 Tbsp finely minced garlic
- 3 Tbsp cognac (brandy or rum make good substitutes)
- generous pinch of salt
- 3/4 tsp sugar (omit if you are using sweetened shredded coconut)

In a wok or frying pan over medium heat, add the coconut and toast until golden brown. This should take 3 to 4 minutes. Don't burn the coconut! Once it is toasted, immediately remove to a plate to cool.


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Wipe the wok or pan dry and set over high heat (if you are using a coated non-stick pan/wok, use medium to medium-high heat). Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the shrimp to the wok, keeping them in a single layer. Fry for one minute, flip and fry for an additional minute until almost cooked through. Remove from the wok, keeping as much oil in the wok as possible.


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Turn the heat to medium, add the butter and, once the butter starts bubbling, add the green onion and garlic. Fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.


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Pour in the cognac and add the salt and sugar.


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Stir and return the shrimp to the wok. Let the whole thing bubble and thicken just a bit- the sauce should lightly coat the shrimp.


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Remove from the heat, sprinkle in the toasted coconut and toss well (I forgot to take a picture of that step).

Yummy!

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