Coconut Shrimp with Tamarind Ginger Sauce

Ingredients:

For sauce:

1 tsp. tamarind concentrate*
1-1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 Tbsp. mild honey
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

For shrimp:

4 cups sweetened flaked coconut (10 oz.)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup beer (not dark)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne
1 large egg
6 cups vegetable oil
48 medium shrimp (1-1/2 pounds), peeled, leaving tail and first segment of shell intact, and, if desired, deveined

Special equipment: a deep-fat thermometer

Instructions:

Make sauce:

Whisk the tamarind concentrate into the lime juice in a small bowl until dissolved. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and chill, covered.

Prepare shrimp:

Coarsely chop the coconut and transfer half of it to a shallow soup bowl or pie plate.

Whisk together the flour, beer, baking soda, salt, cayenne and egg in a small bowl until smooth.

Heat the oil in a 4-6 quart deep heavy pot over moderately high heat until it registers 350F on the deep-fat thermometer.

While the oil is heating, coat the shrimp:

Hold 1 shrimp by the tail and dip into the batter, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in coconut, coating completely and pressing gently to help adhere. Transfer to a plate and coat the remaining shrimp in the same manner, adding the remaining coconut to the bowl as needed.

Fry the shrimp in the oil, in batches of 8, turning once, until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer the shrimp with a slotted spoon to the paper towels to drain and season them lightly with salt. Skim any coconut from the oil and let the oil return to 350F between batches.

Serve the shrimp with the sauce.

Recipe from www.epicurious.com.