Coconut-Crusted Prawns with Grapefruit Salad

What I like most about summer are salads, cold soups and ice creams. That's why I always try to prepare a wide variety of all of them so people at home don't "get bored" at mealtime. We can prepare an incredible assortment beyond lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad. One of the latest creations that has us totally hooked is these shrimp with coconut coating and grapefruit salad. It's a true explosion of flavor and textures, very different from other types of salads we usually eat.

I know well that grapefruit is a somewhat difficult fruit to eat because of its peculiar flavor, but this recipe has a trick. I admit that grapefruit, raw, is very bitter. Although it is a very attractive fruit in terms of appearance and color, it is true that when it comes to eating it, it isn't very appealing. That's why I decided to follow a recipe from a great chef I admire very much, Ottolenghi. He is world-renowned by all of us, so there is no need to introduce him.

This man has the ability to combine flavors in surprising ways; he's an alchemist of the kitchen. I have been able to verify it time and time again while making many of his recipes. This grapefruit salad is one of his creations, only I changed two small insignificant details.

To make this salad, we must macerate the grapefruit in a mixture that combines rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, chili, star anise and orange blossom water. Yes, I know, just reading it your eyes open wide. I had never used orange blossom water for a savory preparation and, believe me, I will use it on more than one occasion. It adds a surprising floral aroma. Then we mix our salad leaves and sprouts with aromatic herbs, mango, seeds and nuts. And the grapefruit, of course. The result is a sensational dish, very refreshing and light.

To accompany the salad, we will prepare some coconut-breaded shrimp. Very similar to other fried shrimp recipes, but not the classic "shrimp in batter" made with the classic "Orly batter". On this occasion, the outer coating is very crispy, as well as having a very distinctive flavor thanks to the shredded coconut and coconut cream. I saw the recipe on the African Bites website, and I promise you'll be ¡fascinated!

These shrimp can be served with the salad as is and would be wonderful, but if we make a bit of Sriracha mayonnaise... You'll touch the sky! That said, this last step is only for spice lovers. If you don't like hot sauces, maybe a mango jam or some kind of chutney would work better. The Set of both preparations makes a perfect salad for these summer nights we're having.

Olive wood fork and spoon set Bérard

Ingredients for 2 people

Coconut-breaded shrimp

• 20 large raw shrimp or prawns
• 30 g breadcrumbs
• 30 g shredded coconut
• 25 g wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg L + 80 g coconut cream

Grapefruit and mango salad

• 2 grapefruits
• 1/2 mango, around 150 g (peeled and cleaned)
• mix of salad leaves; watercress, lamb's lettuce, oak leaf, baby spinach leaves...
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 5 g fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 5 g fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 35-40 g honey peanuts, lightly crushed
• white sesame seeds to taste
• nigella seeds to taste
• olive oil
• 3-4 tablespoons of the grapefruit marinade
• a splash of lime juice
• salt to taste

Marinade (for the grapefruit)

• 70 g rice vinegar
• 40 g light muscovado sugar, can be replaced with brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick, split in half
• 10 g fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 dried red chili, split in half and seeded

Sriracha mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• Sriracha sauce to taste

Preparation

Prepare the marinade

1. In a saucepan, add the rice vinegar along with the sugar. Place over low heat and stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and add the orange blossom water, the anise, the cinnamon, the ginger and the red chili.
3. Set aside.

Prim Appety stainless steel saucepan by De Buyer

Prepare the grapefruit for marinating

1. Peel the grapefruits, remove all the white pith and cut the segments making sure there is no membrane on the ends. The pulp should be exposed.
2. Cut each segment into 2-3 pieces, depending on the size of the grapefruit, and place in a deep plate.
3. Pour the marinade over the grapefruit and let rest for 2 hours. If it's very hot, we can refrigerate it.

Prepare the shrimp or prawns

1. Remove the heads, peel leaving the tail tip intact and remove the vein (black thread on the top of the back).
2. In a bowl beat the egg together with the coconut cream, set aside.
3. On the other hand, mix in a deep plate or dish the flour together with the breadcrumbs, shredded coconut, paprika and salt. Mix well to achieve a homogeneous mix.
4. Set aside.

Irregular plates by Dutch Rose

Coat and fry the shrimp

1. Dip the shrimp in the egg and coconut cream mixture, drain slightly and coat in the breadcrumb and coconut mixture.
2. Place on a plate and repeat the same process with the rest of the shrimp.
3. Pour olive oil into a pan; in my case I used the De Buyer sauté pan, enough quantity to fry them.
4. Once it reaches 175 °C, add 4-5 pieces to the oil. Fry until they take on a golden hue, about 1 minute or 1 and 1/2 minutes. Remember we must do it on both sides. I recommend not overcooking them so that when you bite them they are juicy and not tough and dry.
5. Remove from the oil and set aside.

De Buyer Prim Appety stainless steel Sauté Pan

Assemble the salad

1. Drain the grapefruit, reserving the marinade liquid. Remove the cinnamon, anise, ginger and chili.
2. In a bowl or individual plate, place a base of sprouts and salad leaves together with the chopped cilantro and mint leaves.
3. Add the mango, cut into small cubes, along with the macerated grapefruit.
4. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the marinade liquid over the salad if served individually, or 3-4 if the salad is for sharing.
5. Drizzle the salad with olive oil, a splash of lime juice and sprinkle with flaky salt. Toss lightly to distribute all the elements evenly.
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, nigella and the lightly crushed peanuts.
7. Serve alongside the coconut-breaded shrimp and a small bowl of Sriracha mayonnaise.
8. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Ideally use shrimp/prawns of good size. That way you'll achieve an exquisite bite, also very juicy.
• If you don't like coconut, you can omit it and use only flour together with breadcrumbs or panko. Although I recommend using it because the flavor and texture are great.
• We can use panko instead of breadcrumbs if desired, the result is very good.
• To coat the shrimp we will use coconut cream, which is thick, not the coconut milk found in cartons (plant-based drink).
• Do not exceed the cooking time of the shrimp, otherwise they will become very dry. Proper cooking leaves shrimp shaped like a -C. If, on the other hand, we exceed their cooking time, by losing a lot of water, their appearance will be more similar to an -O.
• The shrimp can be prepared, breaded, in advance and kept refrigerated until the moment we fry them.
• To make the Sriracha mayonnaise, you just need to mix both ingredients. The amount of Sriracha I leave to your choice so you can adjust it to your tastes.
• The sprouts for the salad are totally up to you, use the ones you like best and, if possible, with different color ranges to make the dish more eye-catching.
• The longer the grapefruit macerates, the more flavor it acquires and the better the final result will be.
• Seeds are optional, but recommended. You can always omit them or vary them if you wish.
• The honey peanuts can be replaced with another nut of your choice. Ideally toasted or fried to add more flavor.
• To dress the salad you can use olive oil or, if you prefer, sesame oil, avocado oil...
• Once we dress the salad, the leaves and sprouts stay fresh/firm for little time. I advise dressing it just at the moment you are going to serve it.
• We can present the shrimp in the same bowl as the salad or, if preferred, on a separate plate.

I can't wait for you to try these shrimp with coconut coating and grapefruit salad and tell us what you thought. From this moment on, you are going to fall in love with this fruit... You'll see.

And with the shrimp. Because, certainly, they're incredible no matter how we prepare them. But this coating is very exotic, as well as different and surprising. I hope you enjoy it a lot!