Key West Coconut-Lime Shrimp

As the first in my week long series of GULF COAST SEAFOOD recipes I want to present a dish that is near and dear to me. I spent my youth in Key West and have only the fondest memories of small town life back then on this very tiny island. We had a coconut palm tree our front yard and my friends and I often climbed it to retrieve its rich fruit. We enjoyed it fresh from the tree and quenched our thirst with its delicious coconut water after spending what seemed like all afternoon to crack it open. Coconut shrimp is a classic dish from the tropics but I have added the little additional twist of fresh lime. The shrimp from the gulf coast is flavorful and tender. It looks different from other shrimp because of its pink color. This is how to know you have the real deal from the gulf. Look for the real gulf shrimp when you prepare this dish. The seafood here is safe and the gulf coast is still open for business. Please prepare this to show your support this week. I hope you enjoy.

Key West Coconut-Lime Shrimp

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. large pink gulf coast shrimp, cleaned, peeled and deveined

4 Tbsp. coconut flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup cold water plus additional if batter thickens too quickly

1 tsp. lime zest, grated

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded

vegetable spray

Preheat oven to 425'

Place coconut flour in a large zip top bag and add cleaned shrimp. Gently shake bag to evenly coat the shrimp. Prepare batter by beating eggs and adding the almond flour, baking powder, cold water and lime zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the shredded coconut on a plate in an even layer. Remove shrimp from bag and shake excess flour off and dip into batter. Let excess batter drip off and then roll shrimp in coconut and place on a large sheet pan that has been coated with vegetable spray. Continue this process until all of the shrimp are done. At some point while dipping the shrimp the batter will thicken as the almond flour absorbs the moisture. Add more cold water, about 1 teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached again. Bake shrimp about 15 minutes, carefully turning once with a spatula halfway through cooking time. Serve with additional lime wedges if desired.

Nutrition Facts

6 - 4 Ounce Servings

Amount Per Serving
Calories 265.5
Total Fat 12.8 g
Saturated Fat 4.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.9 g
Cholesterol 243.1 mg
Sodium 270.2 mg
Potassium 230.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 9.5 g
Dietary Fiber 4.4 g
Sugars 0.3 g
Protein 28.4 g