One of the signature dishes of Campeche cuisine, this combines the best of local shellfish with what might be the quintessential flavor of the tropics, coconut. At La Pigua, it is served accompanied by a homemade applesauce, an unexpected and surprisingly good complement.
Ingredients:
- 24 jumbo shrimp, peeled, leaving the tail and first segment of the shell intact
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 ½ cups corn flakes, slightly crushed
- 1 ½ cups dried, sweetened shredded coconut, coarsely chopped
- oil for frying
Preparation
Soak the shrimp for one minute in cold water to cover, with the lime juice. Remove and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.
Mix the flour, eggs and milk to make a batter. Add salt to taste if desired.
Holding each shrimp by the tail, dip into batter, then gently shake off any excess dripping batter.
Coat the shrimp with a mixture of the cornflakes and coconut. Let stand on a rack for a few minutes to dry. This ensures that the coating will adhere to the shrimp.
While the shrimp is drying, heat a heavy pot with enough oil to fry. If using a frying thermometer, it should read 350º F.
Fry the shrimp in batches in the hot oil, turning once, until golden, for a total of 1 minute per batch. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Serve with apple sauce or the dipping sauce of your choice.
Serves 4.
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