Deep-Fried Coconut Curry Shrimp Skewers

While deep-frying anything can be a little bit of a mess, sometimes it is worth it to pull out all the stops when hosting a group and make some crispy, deep-fried snacks to serve hot. These coconut curry shrimp skewers are deep fried until golden brown, and served with a cilantro, lime, & garlic mayonnaise.

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise, whatever brand you prefer
½ clove raw garlic, finely minced
Zest from 1 lime
Juice from ½ lime
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
24 very large, fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined
24 4” wooden skewers, for piercing shrimp
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¾ tsp curry powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ cup ground coconut
¼ cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp cup coconut oil
3 whole eggs, whisked together in a bowl
3 cups Panko bread crumbs
3 cups vegetable oil, for frying the shrimp skewers
Kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Before you begin breading the shrimp, quickly prepare your cilantro, lime, and garlic mayonnaise dipping sauce.
To make the dipping sauce, simply combine the mayonnaise with the finely chopped cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and finely minced garlic.
Mix until all of the dipping sauce ingredients are evenly distributed.
Set the mayonnaise mixture aside in the fridge until your shrimp are fried and you are ready to serve.
To set up the breading station for the shrimp, combine the garlic powder, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, freshly-ground black pepper, and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk the dry spice ingredients together until evenly combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the ground coconut with the coconut milk, coconut oil, and the whole eggs.
Prepare a third bowl with panko bread crumbs.
Dry the peeled and de-veined shrimp with paper towels.
Dip each shrimp individually in the dry spice mixture, making sure to dust off any excess.
Next, coat each shrimp in the wet mixture with the eggs, and quickly drain any excess egg mixture off each shrimp.
Finally, coat the exterior of each shrimp generously with Panko bread crumbs, making sure to press the panko into the shrimp so it sticks in an even layer.
Carefully skewer the breaded shrimp, so they are firmly attached to the wooden skewers.
Add more panko if some falls off during the skewering process.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pot until the oil is 375F.
Deep fry the skewers in the hot 375F oil, until the shrimp are just barely cooked through, and the panko coating is a light golden brown color.
When the shrimp are done frying, transfer them to a plate to drain on paper towels, and sprinkle them with some kosher salt.
Serve hot, with the cilantro, lime, and garlic mayonnaise on the side as a dipping sauce.

Notes

Any extra cilantro, lime, and garlic mayonnaise can be reserved for use later in the week. It tastes delicious when paired with a variety of cooked meats, or even in salads with fresh or roasted vegetables.