Fried Coconut Shrimp with Coconut Curry Grits

Monumental.

This is a monumental week for me.  I'm trying new things and trying to be strong about it.

At my age, I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I've tried shrimp probably a total of two times in my whole life.  

Let me preface this by saying that while I am not Jewish or kosher, I have lived the majority of my life subscribing to a 75%-of-the-time kosher-style diet.  I eat meat and dairy together and do eat fresh game and fresh caught fish.  But, I've always strived to eat as much kosher-prepared meat as possible.  And, I've steered clear of pork, rabbit, shellfish and other non-kosher choices.  I buy meat and hot dogs that are prepared according to kosher guidelines.  It's not a religious thing for me, but more of a preference in the way I have my meat butchered,  I felt that it was hygienic and humane and so I started buying food that way.

That being said, I've been trying to branch out and try new foods lately, so I've been breaking away from the rules I set for myself for the sake of this culinary adventure.

I've been experimenting with lobster this year, but I decided to try something that made me very nervous... shrimp.  I've tried shrimp.  I've never liked shrimp.  I didn't like texture. 

So, I tried to fry them to eliminate that texture problem.  Lo and behold, my trick worked!  I can get the seafood taste of shrimp without the awkward texture in my mouth!

Since I'm a big fan of sweet and spicy combos, I thought I'd try a shrimp recipe I had seen on menus before, and combine it with the flavor combo of coconut and curry I love so much.  Coconut shrimp is pretty commonly found in restaurants so I wanted to try it.  Mixing it with the sweet and spicy flavor of grits was a great choice and helped to balance out the sweetness of the coconut on the shrimp.    Plus, the color is so appetizing!

Shrimp and grits is slowly becoming a staple in my menu planning!

Fried Coconut Shrimp

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and cleaned

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cups vegetable or coconut oil, for frying

Heat the vegetable oil in a pot over medium high heat. Use a thermometer to achieve a reading of approximately 350F.

Clean shrimp by peeling the shells off, de-veining them and rinsing them under cold water.

Whisk the eggs and buttermilk together in a shallow bowl. Pour flour and flaked coconut into another shallow bowl.  Press the shrimp into the coconut to get the most coverage.

Dip the cleaned shrimp into the egg mixture, then toss into flour. Coat evenly.

Drop into frying oil and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Coconut Curry Grits

2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cups grits
2 T butter
1 1/2 cups cream of coconut

1 tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar

Salt & Pepper to taste

Sliced green onions for garnish

Bring milk to a boil over medium heat.

Slowly add grits and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cheese and stir until completely melted into the mixture.

Add the rest of ingredients.

Top with Fried Coconut Shrimp and sliced green onions.