This pan of small shrimp turns deep red, the shells crisp under a rich coconut coating. The natural sweetness of the shrimp meets the coconut milk, and a bowl of hot rice makes it a meal.
What usually goes wrong is the shrimp releasing water and steaming instead of searing. The shrimp are tossed dry and firm before the coconut milk goes in. Only when the liquid has nearly gone and the coconut starts to release its oil does the annatto oil follow, for color.
This batch weighs about 791g, at roughly 122 calories per 100g.
Method
Trim the legs from 500g small shrimp, snip lightly at the head to pull out the dark vein, rinse and drain. Finely chop 2 shallots and 4 cloves of garlic, and slice a handful of spring onion.
Season the shrimp with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1/2 teaspoon seasoning powder and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, tossing to coat.
Fry the shallot and garlic until fragrant, add the shrimp and toss steadily until dry and firm.
Once the shrimp turn red, pour in 150ml coconut milk, stir through, then lower to a gentle simmer so the flavor soaks in. Adjust the salt and sweetness to taste.
When the liquid has almost gone and the coconut coats everything, add 1 tablespoon annatto oil and toss for color.
Once the shrimp are burnished, the shells crisp and the aroma rich, scatter over the spring onion and a little pepper, turn off the heat and serve hot.
Tips
Young small shrimp with soft shells crisp up best in the pan.
Fresh coconut grated and pressed for first extract milk smells better than the canned kind.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so season 10 minutes ahead, toss again, then start the pan.
The golden brown color here comes from the caramel sauce rather than the sweetener, so forcing it with a long reduction only dries the meat out.
Medium heat with constant tossing is right, since too low a flame draws water out of the shrimp and softens them.
Coconut milk goes in once the shrimp are firm, as any earlier and they stew rather than sear.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.