Sizzling shrimp; stuffed, or coated with coconut - recipes

Sunset, Sept, 1989

Sizzled in hot oil, shrimp brown crisp and succulent in golden crusts.

For show-off presentations, start with big, plump shrimp to fry. Stuff a triangle of cheese into a slit in each shrimp, wrap with bacon, and coat with crumbs. Or dip butterflied shrimp in a coconut batter, then coconut shreds, and brown.

Cheese-filled Shrimp

12 colossal-size shrimp (1 5 per lb.)

2 ounces jack cheese

6 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise About 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs Salad oil Tomato-based cocktail sauce

Peel shrimp (leave shell on tail, if desired) and devein. Starting about 1/4 inch from head end, cut along back of each shrimp to make a pocket about 1/4 inch deep and 1 1/2 inches long. In center of slit, make a 1/4-inch cut through shrimp.

Cut cheese into 1-inch triangles about 1/2 inch thick. Tuck I point of the triangle into the 1/4-inch cut. Tightly wrap a half-slice of bacon around shrimp to enclose cheese. Impale a slender wooden skewer through tail end of shrimp and then through bacon and cheese. If made ahead, cover and chill up until next day.

Coat shrimp in crumbs. In a deep 3- to 4- quart pan, heat about 2 inches oil until it reaches 350 degrees on a thermometer. Cook 3 or 4 shrimp at a time, turning if needed, until golden and cheese begins to melt, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Drain shrimp on paper towel-lined pans in a 150 degrees oven, up to 20 minutes. Serve hot, offering cocktail sauce as a dip. Makes 6 to 12 appetizer servings, or 3 or 4

entree servings.-Leonard Cohen, Avila Beach, Calif.

Per shrimp: 86 cal.; 7.3 g protein; 5.8 g fat,- 1.4 g carbo.; 124 mg sodium; 44 mg chol.

Coconut Shrimp

Look for coconut milk and panko Japanese-style coarse bread crumbs) at Asian markets or some supermarkets.

12 colossal-size shrimp (15 per lb.)

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup canned or thawed frozen

coconut milk (or 1/2 cup milk plus

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract)

2 to 3 tablespoons water

1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened dry

coconut

3/4 cup panko or coarse fresh bread

crumbs

Salad oil

Salt and pepper

Mango chutney

Peel shrimp (leave shell on tail, if desired) and devein. To butterfly shrimp, cut a slit almost completely through each back. Mix sherry, curry powder, and shrimp. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up until next day.

In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Stir in coconut milk and enough water to make a smooth, thin batter.

On waxed paper, mix the shredded coconut and panko. Put remaining 1/4 cup flour on another piece of waxed paper.

In a 4 1/2- to 5-quart pan, heat about 1 inch salad oil to 350 degrees on a thermometer. Lay

shrimp flat, coat in plain flour, batter, then in panko mixture. Fry 3 or 4 shrimp at a time, turning until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain on paper towel-lined pans in a 150 degrees oven, up to 30 minutes. Skim oil often to remove browned bits.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with chutney as a dip. Makes 12 appetizer servings, or 3 or 4 entree servings.-Conrad Nanaka, Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii.

Per shrimp: 157 cal.; 6.5 g protein; 9 g fat, 13 g carbo.; 93 mg sodium, 38 mg chol.