Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients

• For the shrimp:
• Twenty-Four 12/15 count jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup panko-style bread crumbs
• 2 whole eggs
• 3/4 cup flour
• For the sweet chili sauce:
• 2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
• 1 tablespoon dried red chili flakes, or 2-3 thai bird chilis, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
• To Finish:
• 2 quarts canola, vegetable, or peanut oil

Directions

1. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and put them aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir the coconut and panko together with a whisk. In another large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with 2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Put the rest of the flour in a third large mixing bowl.
2. Add the shrimp to the bowl of flour and toss until they are evenly covered. Move them into the egg mixture, letting any extra flour fall away first, and toss until fully coated. Hold the coconut mixture bowl in your left hand, then use your right hand to lift the shrimp out one by one, letting excess batter drip back into the bowl before tossing each shrimp in the coconut mixture. Keep the shrimp moving so they coat evenly instead of clumping together. As each one is coated, place it on a plate, cleaning any batter or crumbs from the tails as you go. Let them rest for 10 minutes.
3. While the shrimp sit, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the garlic, chili flakes, sugar, vinegar, and 1/2 cup water, then warm the mixture until the sugar has dissolved. In a small bowl, stir the remaining water with the corn starch until you have a smooth slurry. Whisk the slurry into the sauce, then bring it to a boil over medium high heat so it thickens. Take the pan off the heat, whisk in the fish sauce, and set the sauce aside.
4. Pour the oil into a large wok or Dutch oven and heat it to 375 degrees F, checking with an instant read thermometer. Add the shrimp to the oil one at a time and fry them, moving them constantly with a metal spider, until they are crisp and deeply golden all over, about 3 minutes total. Lift the shrimp into a paper towel-lined bowl, season with kosher salt, and toss to coat. Serve right away, with the sauce alongside for dipping.