Food & Wine USA - (06)June 2020

Honey-Pepper Coconut Shrimp

ACTIVE 30 MIN; TOTAL 1 HR; SERVES 6

Chef Rich Cundiff of Rocky’s Hot Chicken

Shack in Asheville, North Carolina, shares a

home cook–friendly riff on his top-secret

coconut shrimp exclusively for F&W. A

drizzle of syrupy honey glaze, infused with

black pepper and lemon, adds a tart-sweet

finish.

1 / 2 cup honey

1 / 4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest plus 2

Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. black pepper, divided

3 cups all-purpose flour (about 12^3 / 4

oz.), divided

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup water

2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

2 cups panko

1 lb. peeled and deveined tail-on raw

medium shrimp

Vegetable oil

Mango-Habanero Aioli (recipe

follows)

1. Combine honey, sugar, lemon zest and
   juice, and^1 / 2 teaspoon black pepper in a
   medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over
   medium-high, stirring constantly. Simmer,
   stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves,
   about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and
   set aside.


2. Stir together 2 cups flour, salt, and
   remaining^1 / 2 teaspoon black pepper in a
   shallow bowl until thoroughly combined.
   Whisk together eggs, 1 cup water, baking
   powder, and remaining 1 cup flour in a sep-
   arate bowl until just combined. Stir
   together coconut and panko in a third bowl.


3. Dredge 1 shrimp in salted flour mixture;
   shake off excess. Dip into egg batter; let
   excess drip off. Dredge in coconut mixture,
   pressing lightly to adhere. Place on a bak-
   ing sheet lined with parchment paper.
   Repeat process using remaining shrimp.
   Freeze shrimp until firm, about 30 minutes.


4. Pour oil to a depth of 3 inches into a
   Dutch oven; heat over high to 325¡F. Work-
   ing in about 3 batches, fry shrimp in hot oil
   until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per
   batch. Transfer cooked shrimp to a plate
   lined with paper towels to drain. Let cool
   slightly, about 2 minutes. Drizzle with honey
   mixture. Serve with mango-habanero aioli.
   —RICH CUNDIFF, ROCKY’S HOT CHICKEN
   SHACK, ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
   WINE Lightly off-dry white: 2017 Chateau
   Montelena Riesling

Mango-Habanero Aioli

TOTAL 5 MIN; MAKES ABOUT 1^1 / 4 CUPS

Habanero chiles add floral heat to this

sweet and tangy dipping sauce, which is

tamed by citrus and a touch of sugar.

1 cup frozen mango chunks

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. smoked salt (such as hickory)

1 / 2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 / 2 tsp. black pepper

1 small habanero chile, seeded and

chopped (about^1 / 4 tsp.)

1 cup mayonnaise (such as Duke’s)

Process frozen mango chunks, lime juice,

sugar, smoked paprika, curry powder,

smoked salt, cayenne pepper, black pep-

per, and chopped habanero in a food pro-

cessor until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir

together mango mixture and mayonnaise

in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate

until ready to use. —RICH CUNDIFF

MAKE AHEAD Aioli can be prepared and

stored in an airtight container in

refrigerator up to 3 days.

JUNE 2020 45

FW_0620_Handbook.indd 45 FINAL 4/16/20 11:44 AM