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Cat's Coconut Beer-Batter Prawns *

Source of Recipe

My own creation


Recipe Introduction

I was inspired to create this recipe after tasting a similar appetizer at my favorite local waterfront seafood restaurant. It was delicious - but unfortunately, they stopped serving this dish - which was my first choice on the menu every time we went - so I had to come up with a comparable stand-in for my coconut-prawn hankering; one that I could make at home. After a bit of tinkering, according to taste, this is what I came up with. It received no complaints - only compliments! - and I think these came pretty darn close!

List of Ingredients

Beer Batter:
â—¦ 1 cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ 1 teaspoon baking powder
â—¦ ½ teaspoon dried dill
â—¦ ¾ cup beer (use something you'd drink and drink the rest ;)
â—¦ ½ cup milk
â—¦ 2 eggs

Seasoning Mix:
â—¦ 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
â—¦ 2¼ teaspoons salt
â—¦ 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
â—¦ 1¼ teaspoon garlic powder
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon dried oregano

Prawns:
â—¦ 1 to 2 pounds tiger prawns, peeled and deveined
â—¦ 6 ounces grated coconut
â—¦ Vegetable oil for frying


Recipe

First, prepare the batter:
In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and dill. Add beer, milk, and eggs; mix well.

Next, prepare the seasoning mix:
In a small bowl, blend together the cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and oregano. Rub the seasoning mix over the prawns on both sides. (There will be a lot of the seasoning left over, but you can use this spicy seasoning blend as liberally or as sparingly as you wish; save the rest for another use. It is great on just about anything!)

Dredge prawns through the beer batter; then coat liberally with the grated coconut.
Pour oil to a depth of about 2 inches in a large cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, or deep fryer. Heat until the temperature of the oil reaches 350° F. Without overcrowding, drop each prawn into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, turning once. Keep a close eye on them to make sure you don't overcook them!

Drain on paper towels and serve immediately - I like to serve these with a dipping sauce I just blend together on-the-spot. Because I don't usually measure it as I blend it, I can't really give specifics; but here is my general formula: Just eyeball the ingredients and adjust to taste the following: A few tablespoons of orange marmalade, a splash of rice vinegar; and a liberal pinch or two of red pepper flakes (use the lesser amount if you don't particularly enjoy a spicy sauce - but the sauce I tried at the restaurant I mentioned was on the spicy side - and I swooned over it... )

Sometimes I also venture out "on a limb" and replace the rice vinegar altogether with a healthy squeeze of Dark Pub Beer Mustard (or Dijon mustard). It is equally good! Sriracha (or your favorite Asian-style sweet chile sauce) would work well in place of either; but you may want to eliminate the red pepper flakes altogether in this case (again, taste and adjust to your personal preference). It's all about experimentation. But don't fret too much about the sauce; these are delicious with or without sauce. Or you can use a store-bought sauce for this purpose; a good, spicy cocktail sauce, or a homemade sauce of your choosing. Whether sauced or not sauced... enjoy! Invite a few good people, throw on some good music; and crack open an ice-cold beer (or a home-made margarita) if you are so inclined - and include plenty of napkins! :)


Serves 4 to 8
(depending on the amount of shrimp used - and, of course, appetites brought to the table!)